OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has downplayed concerns about former friend and now rival Elon Musk's political ties with President-elect Donald Trump but acknowledged that xAI is a formidable competitor.
What Happened: During an interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Altman expressed confidence that Musk would not misuse political influence to harm competitors.
“I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing,” he stated, adding that it would be “profoundly un-American” for Musk to leverage political power against rivals.
The OpenAI CEO also said that Musk's AI startup xAI is a “really serious competitor” to his company.
Musk co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but left in 2018 due to a conflict of interest.
“I have different feelings about him [Musk] now, but I'm still glad he exists,” Altman stated.
“Not just because I think his companies are awesome, which I do think, but because I think he, at a time when most of the world was not thinking very ambitiously, pushed a lot of people, me included, to think much more ambitiously,” the CEO added.
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Why It Matters: Musk contributed millions to Trump's presidential campaign and vigorously supported him both online and offline in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state.
He co-leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with cutting up to $2 trillion from the federal budget.
Trump previously said that DOGE’s work is expected to be completed by Jul. 4, 2026, at the latest.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Altman and other tech and business leaders targeted by Musk expressed concerns about his potential impact on regulation.
Altman reportedly contacted his connections within Trump's inner circle, including Jared Kushner, the President-elect's son-in-law, and his brother Joshua Kushner, head of OpenAI investor Thrive Capital.
Last week, Musk filed a court injunction to prevent OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit entity. This legal move follows Musk’s earlier lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing ChatGPT-parent of prioritizing commercial interests over its original mission.
OpenAI’s valuation soared to $157 billion after securing $6.5 billion in funding. Last month, it was reported that Musk's xAI was seeking $6 billion in funding, aiming for a $50 billion valuation.
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