Elon Musk Leads $97.4 Billion Bid to Acquire OpenAI, Sam Altman Offers to Buy Twitter Instead

New York – In a dramatic turn of events, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has led a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, according to reports from The New York Times.

The bid, backed by Vy Capital, xAI (Musk’s AI venture), and Hollywood mogul Ari Emanuel, aims to challenge OpenAI’s future direction. The offer comes as OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a $40 billion funding deal led by SoftBank, which could value the AI company at $300 billion.

Altman’s Response: A Twitter Takeover Joke?

In response to Musk’s unsolicited bid, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fired back on X (formerly Twitter), sarcastically offering to buy Twitter for $9.74 billion instead.

"No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want." – Sam Altman

This latest exchange fuels the ongoing rivalry between Musk and Altman, who have clashed repeatedly over OpenAI’s mission, AI ethics, and corporate interests.

Musk vs. OpenAI: A Long-Standing Feud

• Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left before it became a dominant force in AI.
• In 2023, he launched xAI, a rival AI startup to compete with OpenAI.
• Last year, Musk sued OpenAI, claiming it had shifted from its original nonprofit mission to a for-profit model focused on commercial gains.
• A U.S. federal judge recently ruled that parts of Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI might go to trial, requiring Musk to testify in court.

Trump’s AI Partnership & Musk’s Criticism

Further escalating tensions, former U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure partnership called Stargate, featuring OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank.

Musk dismissed the move, claiming, "They don’t actually have the money."

Altman quickly responded, calling Trump’s plan "great for the country" and urging Musk to prioritize American interests over personal business disputes.

As the battle over AI supremacy intensifies, Musk’s bid for OpenAI could shake up the industry—but whether OpenAI will even consider the offer remains uncertain.