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Last Updated:February 21, 2026, 16:42 IST
Altman's remarks came amid an escalating legal battle with Musk over OpenAI's for-profit policies. The two tech leaders started as partners before turning bitter rivals in AI.
Sam Altman and Elon Musk co-founded OpenAI together before Musk resigned from the company and became one of its most vocal critics. (File)
Tech rivals Elon Musk and Sam Altman, who have had a series of bitter public exchanges over the recent months amid an escalating legal battle, were once colleagues who founded OpenAI together. A friendship between the two again seems “less likely", said Altman in a recent interview.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Altman was asked which scenario was less likely to happen: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) losing its dominance over global chip manufacturing, or he and Elon Musk rekindling their friendship.
“I think Musk and I becoming friends is less likely. I feel I have more control over that one, but both very unlikely things," the OpenAI CEO responded, drawing laughter from the audience.
These remarks came amid a bitter feud between Musk and Altman, after the Tesla CEO sued OpenAI, claiming the company abandoned its nonprofit mission. Musk is reportedly seeking up to $134 billion in damages. The timing of the spat comes amid heightened scrutiny of AI safety globally.
From Friends To Rivals
However, the two tech CEOs were once partners with a shared idealism about AI. Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI as a non-profit in 2015. Musk later resigned from the company in 2018 after a power struggle and became one of the company’s most vocal critics.
Musk has alleged that Altman and OpenAI abandoned their original nonprofit mission to develop AI for humanity’s benefit, transforming it into a profit-driven entity closely tied to Microsoft. After raising $1 billion from Microsoft in 2019, OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022 and, within five days, reached 1 million users.
In July 2023, Musk launched a rival AI company, called xAI, and released its Grok chatbot four months later. Musk said Grok was designed with “an absolute focus on the truth, whether politically correct or not." He later sued OpenAI, alleging that Altman and Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president, manipulated Musk into donating $44 million to a nonprofit, open-source company that would prioritise AI safety over profits.
Musk also opposed the Stargate Project, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative launched by US President Donald Trump, Altman and other tech leaders soon after the 2024 presidential elections. Musk claimed the organisers don’t have the funds to back up their promises.
In response, Altman said, “This is great for the country. I realise 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 is currentky in India to attend the India-AI Impact Summit, where his company has announced a number of partnerships, including a data centre deal with Tata Consultancy Services and plans to open new offices in Bengaluru and Mumbai.
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First Published:
February 21, 2026, 16:42 IST
News world Would Sam Altman Becoming Friends With Elon Musk Again? OpenAI CEO Responds
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