Elon Musk and Sam Altman's Feud Escalates Amid Trump's $500 Billion 'Stargate' AI Project

Wedge between Elon Musk and Donald Trump? Proximity of ChatGPT founder Sam Altman to the new president is unsettling USA's 'first buddy'

A decade-long feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, exacerbated by Altman's growing closeness to President Trump, is straining Musk's previously strong relationship with Trump. America's "first buddy" is uneasy about ChatGPT founder Sam Altman's close proximity to the new president. The decade-long feud is driving a wedge between Musk and Trump. Huge infrastructure investments, photo ops, and large numbers are all things that Donald Trump enjoys. All three were included in the announcement of the $500 billion (£400 billion) "Stargate" artificial intelligence project. Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT owner OpenAI, and billionaire SoftBank and Oracle founders Masayoshi Son and Larry Ellison joined the new president in the White House Tuesday night to promote the decision as a "declaration of confidence in America." ALSO READ: As Elon Musk criticizes Keir Starmer for his policies, President Donald Trump differs with his first buddy, praises the UK Prime Minister, and says he's a nice man Trump was loudly credited by the three executives. Altman skillfully sidestepped the fact that the project had actually begun during the Biden administration by telling him that they "wouldn't be able to do this without you, Mr. President," as quoted in a report by The Telegraph. A techno-futurist representation of the American progress that the second Trump administration aspires to achieve is Stargate. Therefore, it was not ideal that Elon Musk, who did not attend the unveiling, threw cold water on the project right away. Besides making social media jabs at Altman, a former ally turned adversary, Musk has spent the last two days asserting that OpenAI and SoftBank lack the resources for their proposed plans. Following Tuesday's announcement, Musk tweeted, "They don't actually have the money," adding that SoftBank had secured well under $10 billion. I have good authority to say that. The row was just the latest in a long feud between Musk and Altman, who co-founded OpenAI before Musk quit the company. The difference this time was that Musk appeared to directly contradict Trump, who had fulsomely praised the Stargate project. Trump shrugged off Musk's criticism on Thursday, saying that the people in the deal are very, very smart people - but Elon, one of the people he happens to hate. But he has a certain hatred of people too. According to Politico, Trump's staff are "furious" with Musk. The problem is, the president doesn't have any leverage over him, and Elon pays no heed. Steve Bannon, the former Trump aide and Maga guru, called Musk "out of control" and said he should not reverse what the president's already talked about. Since Trump was elected with the help of Musk's unprecedented donations and social media boosting, many observers have mused about how long the marriage can last and whether an alliance of two alpha masters of attention, both prone to grudges and averse to being undermined, is inherently unstable. What sparked tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump? Musk's criticism of the Stargate AI project, which Trump publicly praised, combined with Sam Altman's growing closeness to the president, has caused a schism in their previously strong alliance. Why does Musk criticize Sam Altman and Stargate? Musk accuses Altman and his partners of lacking the financial resources to complete the Stargate project and sees OpenAI's current direction as a betrayal of its original mission.

Musk vs. Altman (and Trump): Anatomy of a feud

Why it matters: Musk's public questioning of the financial strength of a venture that Trump had just blessed from the White House marked the first public sign that the "First Buddy's" relationship with the president might be turning rocky. Driving the news: Trump, joined by Altman, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, announced at a White House briefing on Tuesday that Stargate "will invest at least $500 billion" in AI infrastructure in the U.S. by 2029 and create "over 100,000 American jobs almost immediately." Altman countered Musk's claims about the project, replying, "wrong, as you surely know," and suggested he was more worried about his personal ambitions than the national interest. What they're saying: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that "the American people should take President Trump and those CEOs' words for it." Between the lines: Musk has been at odds with Altman ever since the two had a falling-out over the destiny of OpenAI in 2018. Our thought bubble: Musk and Altman have long been very public enemies, so it's hardly surprising that Trump's offering a White House spotlight to Altman on day two of his administration might miff Musk.

Musk and Altman Are Rivals -- for Trump's Approval

Shortly after assembling America's leading technology CEOs to pay homage to him at his inauguration, Donald Trump presided over the announcement of Stargate, a huge data infrastructure project from OpenAI and Oracle and backed by SoftBank. It was unclear that the new president had anything to do with it, and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said construction was already under way, but OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was undeterred. "We wouldn't be able to do this without you, Mr. President," he said. "I'm thrilled that we get to." Of course, there was a lot of progress made on AI during Joe Biden's four years as president, including significant buildouts of infrastructure. But chief executives did not make a habit of traveling to Washington to give him personal credit for their business decisions. That's not really how democracy -- or capitalism -- or America -- is supposed to work.

Elon Musk's Grudge With Sam Altman Is Sparking Conflict in Trump World

Trump shrugged off Musk's criticisms of Stargate as a personal vendetta against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Elon Musk, already the richest man in the world, has secured himself an unelected position at the right hand of the President of the United States, complete with office space in the West Wing... and he just might throw it away over a petty feud. Following the Trump administration's announcement of the $500 billion "Stargate" artificial intelligence infrastructure project, Musk took to X to trash the inclusion of OpenAI -- a move that reportedly pissed off some Trump staffers. According to Politico, White House staffers think Musk overstepped by publicly accusing OpenAI of not having the money needed to hold up its end of the bargain for a $100 billion investment in the Stargate initiative. One Trump ally told Politico that "It's clear he has abused the proximity to the president" in his attack on Altman -- which pretty quickly devolved from "they don't have the money" to presenting Altman as a spineless flip-flopper who trashed Trump during his first term but is sucking up to him now. And, you know what? Fair hit. Musk might be a pot calling the kettle black, given he quit the first Trump administration over a principled position he apparently no longer holds, but Altman is a little worm, too. Sometimes it just takes one to know one. Unfortunately for Trumpworld, they don't appear to have any mechanism for keeping Musk from doing things like this, even when it's at the expense of the administration's accomplishments. One Trump ally told Politico, "The problem is the president doesn't have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero fucks." Trump himself seemed to shrug off the incident, telling the press that it doesn't bother him that Musk criticized the project because "He hates one of the people in the deal." But around him, it seems like patience for Musk's antics might be growing a little thin. Even White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, while avoiding invoking Musk directly, said during a Fox News interview that "the American people should take President Trump and those CEOs' words for it," regarding their investments in Stargate. Musk is something of a unique problem for Trumpworld -- a guy who arguably has as big if not an even greater reach than the President himself and who controls the levers of the very platform that Trump once used to dictate his policy directly. Between the pettiness and the non-stop tweet barrages that can control media cycles, it's kind of like having to deal with another Trump -- if that other Trump were way richer and way worse of a poster. Trump might not have a ton of leverage over Musk at the moment, as he likely still feels as if he owes a little bit of fealty for the massive amount of cash Musk spent boosting the Trump campaign. But suggesting that he has none might mean Trumpworld is underplaying their hand. Musk's empire is built upon government subsidies and federal contracts. It wouldn't be too hard to cause some pain if they really wanted to. If Musk continues to overplay his hand, we'll see just how strong this partnership is.

Trump Showing Love to Sam Altman Is Clearly Driving Elon Musk Into a Jealous Fury

This week, tech rivals Elon Musk and Sam Altman have been falling over themselves to win the favor of returning president Donald Trump. The petty squabble started on Tuesday, when an aggrieved Musk took to social media to put down Trump's just-announced $500 billion AI project, "Stargate." Altman's OpenAI was a prominently-featured partner in the project while Musk's xAI was passed over, with Trump calling Altman the "leading expert based on everything I read." That didn't sit well with Musk, who fumed online that OpenAI doesn't "actually have the money" for the project. Altman shot back that Musk was "wrong, as you surely know," and invited him to "come visit the first site." Is it skin-crawlingly embarrassing to see adults publicly grovel for the affection of a daddy figure? Absolutely -- but in the uneasy new world of the tech industry under Trump, it's probably going to be par for the course. Musk then doubled down by reposting a 2021 screenshot of a tweet by Altman in which the OpenAI CEO praised efforts to keep Trump from being reelected in the 2020 election. For good measure, he kept reposting and replying to anti-Altman posts well into Wednesday night, with his usual insightful commentary: "Wow" and "True." "Altman literally testified to Congress that he wouldn't get OpenAI compensation and now he wants $10 billion!" Musk quote tweeted one Reuters article. "What a liar." Why is Trump's embrace of Altman getting so deeply under Musk's infamously thin skin? The two have a history, but the main issue lately is clearly that Musk spent hundreds of millions of dollars to get Trump reelected, while Altman is a johnny-come-lately to the Trump Train -- and already reaping the benefits. The rift is likely to be one of many we'll see in the months to come as the wealthy and powerful flock to the Oval Office to win the privilege of Trump's ear. That said, it's unlikely any will be quite as dramatic as that between Musk and Trump, an unlikely alliance between two notoriously difficult personalities that seems liable to fall apart at any moment. Altman, who has a more subdued profile and who's mostly let Musk rage without reply throughout the tiff, finally caved earlier today with a cutting subtweet: "just one more mean tweet and then maybe you'll love yourself."

Trump aides 'furious' with Elon Musk for trashing $500B AI project:...

Elon Musk "very much" overstepped his bounds when he criticized a $500 billion artificial intelligence project touted by President Donald Trump, according to a White House official as aides are reportedly "furious" with the tech mogul while allies lament that he "abused the proximity to the president." "The problem is the president doesn't have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero f-ks," a Trump ally told the Politico news site on Thursday. Musk angered Trump aides when he spoke up in response to the president's rollout on Tuesday of Stargate -- a $500 billion AI infrastructure project involving OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and MGX. The comments by Musk ignited speculation within Republican circles that Trump and the Tesla boss, who has amassed so much influence in the administration that he has been given his own office in the West Wing of the White House, will eventually part ways, Politico reported. The Post has sought comment from Musk and the White House. The criticism by Musk, who was conspicuously absent from the Stargate rollout on Tuesday, enraged a prominent Trump ally, Steve Bannon. Bannon, former chief strategist for Trump, urged White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to address the situation promptly. He blasted Musk for having "brought in his own personal vendetta." The Stargate project entails the construction of large-scale data centers and the generation of significant energy resources which its proponents say will lead to the creation of over 100,000 jobs. OpenAI is led by CEO Sam Altman, a Musk nemesis. Altman appeared alongside Trump at an Oval Office news briefing. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a close friend of Musk, and SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son were also at the briefing with Trump. Trump on Tuesday declared Stargate "a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential" under his new administration, with an initial private investment of $100 billion that could reach five times that sum. But Musk, a close Trump adviser who helped bankroll his campaign and now leads a government cost-cutting initiative, questioned the value of the investment hours later. "They don't actually have the money," Musk wrote on his social platform X. "SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority." Altman responded Wednesday to say Musk was "wrong, as you surely know" and inviting Musk to come visit the first site in Texas that is already under construction. "(T)his is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope you'll mostly put (America) first," Altman wrote, using a US flag emoji to represent America. Trump downplayed Musk's skepticism about the $500 billion AI project -- attributing it to personal animosity rather than a critique of its viability. Trump told reporters that Musk's remarks stemmed from his dislike of Altman, emphasizing that all participants in the deal are "very, very smart people" and comparing Musk's feelings to his own personal grudges. "No, he hates one of the people," Trump said, in an apparent reference to Altman. "I've spoken to Elon, but -- spoken to all of them, actually. The people in the deal are very, very smart people -- but Elon, one of the people he happens to hate. But I have certain hatreds of people too." When asked about Musk's criticism of the deal, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, told Fox News that "the American people should take President Trump and those CEOs' words for it," and that "these investments are coming to our great country, and American jobs are coming along with them." Leavitt did not mention Musk by name. Musk, the world's richest man whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI, that is building its own big data center in Memphis, Tennessee. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. Musk and Altman, once co-founders of OpenAI, have become fierce rivals, with Musk frequently criticizing Altman's leadership and the company's shift toward corporate interests, particularly its partnership with Microsoft. Their tensions escalated further when Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman, alleging that they abandoned the organization's original nonprofit mission in favor of profit-driven motives, deepening the rift between the two tech leaders. A hearing is set for February in a California federal court. Earlier this week, The Post reported that Ellison's support of the Stargate project could help grease the wheels for the embattled merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. The merger faces a slew of hurdles as it looks to gain US regulatory approval. Paramount subsidiary CBS has been mired in controversy stemming from a "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

As Elon Musk trashes Donald Trump's $500 billion AI project the President's aides and allies are furious with the world's richest man; here's what they are saying

Donald Trump's staff are "furious" over Musk for using his social media platform, X, to blast the infrastructure deal that Trump called "tremendous" and "monumental".US President Donald Trump's aides and allies are furious with Elon Musk for publicly trashing Trump's $500 billion artificial intelligence mega-deal, reported Politico. Trump's staff are "furious" over Musk for using his social media platform, X, to blast the infrastructure deal that Trump called "tremendous" and "monumental", as mentioned in the Politico report. One Trump ally told Politico that Musk abused the proximity to the president. The Trump ally also said that the problem is that the president doesn't have any leverage over him, while Musk doesn't care. There is speculation within Grand Old Party (GOP) circles that the world's richest man and Trump will eventually have a fallout, as per Politico. While Trump said it did not bother him that Musk had criticized the deal. Trump said, "He hates one of the people in the deal," quoted Politico. Also Read : NYT Mini Crossword Jan 24: Clues and answers to solve the riddle Trump's allies feel that Musk has had unparalleled access to the president since he positioned himself at Trump's side in Mar-a-Lago, reported Politico. Musk also heads Trump's so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Some of Trump's allies were concerned by Musk's access and hoped that Musk would maintain physical distance after the president took office on January 20. Even though Musk owns his own AI startup, he did not attend Trump's unveiling of "Stargate". The Stargate project intends to invest $500 billion over the next four years in building new AI infrastructure. OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle will fund Stargate, as per Politico. Musk is skeptical of the funding and believes these companies don't have the money to fund the project. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI, has been critical of its CEO Sam Altman and spent much of Wednesday trolling him online, as per Politico. Musk said, "They don't actually have the money". Softbank, meanwhile, "has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority," quoted Politico. Also Read : NFC Championship Game: Predicting final score for Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Commanders While Musk seems to favour another AI investor and said Microsoft's Satya Nadella "definitely does have the money," quoted Politico. What are Donald Trump's allies saying about Elon Musk? Donald Trump's allies are furious over Musk for criticising the AI infrastructure deal. One Trump ally said that Musk abused the proximity to the president. Why is Elon Musk criticising the deal? Elon Musk is criticising the deal as he believes that OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle do not have the money to fund Stargate.

Trump's Staff Have Had It With Elon Musk's Insubordination

Speaking anonymously, one White House official said that the self-styled "First Buddy" jumped the gun by criticizing the infrastructure project. In fact, the whole camp may be beginning to sour on their attention-seeking billionaire talisman; a Republican close to the administration told the outlet that Trump's staff -- implying this is the prevailing sentiment among the president's confidantes -- is "furious" at Musk for his tirade against the deal just after it was announced. "It's clear he has abused the proximity to the president," a Trump ally told Politico. "The problem is the president doesn't have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero fucks." Trump's exorbitant Stargate project plans to raise half a trillion dollars of private capital toward building AI data centers across the United States over the next four years. It's being funded by some big names in tech, including OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank -- not to mention the Emirati investment firm MGX. Musk's own AI startup, xAI, was notably left out of Stargate, while his arch nemesis, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, practically gets to be its poster child. It appears that these perceived slights led him to undermining the deal almost immediately. "They don't actually have the money," Musk accused the project's backers of in a tweet replying to OpenAI's announcement. "SoftBank has well under $10B secured," he added. "I have that on good authority." Altman was forced to defend his honor. "I realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies, but in your new role I hope you'll mostly put [the US] first," he replied to Musk. Presenting a unified front is key to any administration that doesn't want to ooze total incompetence. As such, for someone so close to the president to trash one of its biggest initiatives out the gate is kind of extraordinary. It sounds like Musk has plenty of his own ideas in mind regarding AI. "We are now working with him to make sense of his ideas -- ideas are innovative. Execution not so much," the White House official told Politico, adding that staffers are still hearing out Musk about his concerns over the tech. Publicly, Trump himself seems mostly unbothered by the catty infighting, merely commenting that, like Elon, he harbors "certain hatreds of people too." Still, if the president's staff have resentments towards Musk, those simmering tensions could hit a boiling point in the future. In any case, it shouldn't be surprising that Musk, a guy who tweets deranged conspiracy theories all day, isn't a master of statecraft -- or of simply knowing when to shut his trap. To be fair, Trump isn't known for his demure demeaner, either. But that's his whole brand, and there's only room for so many motormouths in one administration.

Trump Says Elon Musk's Bizarre Behavior Is Okay Because "I Have Certain Hatreds of People Too"

President Trump's $500 billion AI infrastructure project, dubbed Stargate, rustled plenty of feathers when it was announced this week -- including reigniting a bitter feud between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and multi-hyphenate billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk. Earlier this week, Altman proudly voiced his support for the initiative at the announcement, while flanked by Trump in the Oval Office. OpenAI is committing $19 billion to fund it. But Musk, who seemingly felt left out -- and possibly jealous of Trump proudly and lovingly watching Altman stand behind the podium -- lashed out at Altman, accusing OpenAI of not being able to come up with their share. Trump, meanwhile, appears completely unfazed by the billionaires squabbling, telling reporters in the Oval Office that Musk "hates one of the people in the deal," as quoted by The Hill. After being asked if he was bothered by Musk bashing the deal, he had a simple answer. "No, it doesn't," he said. "The people in the deal are very, very smart people," he continued. "But Elon, one of the people in the deal he happens to hate, but I have certain hatreds of people too." What he exactly meant by "certain hatreds of people" could be interpreted in eyebrow-raising ways. Notably, Trump's comments came after Musk was rightfully excoriated worldwide for performing not one but two Nazi salutes during the president's post-inauguration celebration. The most straightforward reading of Trump's comments, judging by the context of the discussion, is that Musk hates Altman, specifically. But the fact that Altman is Jewish shrouds Trump's characteristically vague ramblings in a much darker light. Was Trump insinuating that he and Musk harbor prejudices against certain groups? Or would that be reading too much into Trump's utterances? Does Trump even know that Altman is Jewish? Musk has since attempted to refute that his gesture was really a Nazi salute -- but then tweeted a barrage of Holocaust jokes that prompted even some of his most ardent defenders to withdraw their support. Throughout it all, astonishingly, Musk has stopped short of outright denying that he did perform a Hitlergruss. His feud with Altman dates back to the earliest days of OpenAI, a nonprofit they cofounded in 2015. In 2019 Musk quit in anger, citing disagreements over the group's direction. There are other reasons why Musk may feel left out. The entrepreneur launched his own AI company, xAI, which was passed over by Stargate. Whether any of this drama actually registered in Trump's brain remains mysterious. Does the president even care about one of his most loyal supporters battling it out with one of the most influential people in the AI industry? The Trump administration has already made it abundantly clear that loyalty to the United States' new leader is a top priority. Whether Musk's attempts to discredit the president's shiny new AI deal will land on Trump's naughty list remains to be seen. What Trump may not realize is Musk's position of considerable power and influence. "It's clear he has abused the proximity to the president," an unnamed Trump ally in the White House told Politico. "The problem is the president doesn't have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero fucks." The latest disagreement could fuel a growing rift between the richest man and one of the most powerful people in the world. It certainly wouldn't be the first time the two sparred; Trump and Musk have had a rocky relationship in the past, to say the least. "When Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it's electric cars that don't drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocket ships to nowhere, without which subsidies he'd be worthless," Trump wrote in a 2022 post on his platform Truth Social, "and telling me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, 'drop to your knees and beg,' and he would have done it..."