--- title: "Elon Musk Makes Huge Bid to Seize Control of OpenAI" description: "Billionaire and White House advisor Elon Musk is leading a gigantic $97.4 billion bid to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI." date: "2025-02-10" modified: "2025-02-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-huge-bid-control-openai" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "OpenAI" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "chatgpt" - "elon musk" - "OpenAI" - "sam altman" - "xai" --- # Elon Musk Makes Huge Bid to Seize Control of OpenAI ![Billionaire and White House advisor Elon Musk is leading a gigantic $97.4 billion bid to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Billionaire and White House advisor Elon Musk is leading a gigantic $97.4 billion bid to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, the [*Wall Street Journal* reports](). Musk's lawyer, Marc Toberoff, delivered the unsolicited offer to the ChatGPT maker's board of directors today, signaling a dramatic escalation in his years-long beef with the company he co-founded alongside CEO Sam Altman in 2015. Musk rage quit the AI company after [growing frustrated with its direction]() in 2019. "It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was," Musk said in a statement provided by Toberoff, as quoted by the *WSJ*. "We will make sure that happens." The timing of the bid is especially interesting, as Altman [revealed that he regrets]() leading OpenAI's transition ditch its open source roots in a [Reddit AMA]() late last month. "I personally think we have been on the wrong side of history here and need to figure out a different open source strategy," he [wrote](). Musk has repeatedly lashed out at Altman, [going as far as to sue OpenAI last year]() for having been "transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft," citing the latter's [major investment]() in the AI company. There's a bit of a double standard there, it's worth pointing out; Musk has raised billions of dollars for his own AI company, xAI, which is for-profit. Meanwhile, OpenAI has defended itself against Musk's lawsuit, even [demonstrating]() that Musk had once supported turning OpenAI into a for-profit himself, but later ditched the firm since he couldn't assume full control. Musk ended up [dropping the lawsuit three months later](). In short, the latest bid to take back control of OpenAI could easily be seen as the richest man in the world's dissatisfaction with not being in charge of one of the key players in the ongoing AI race. The bid may have also been inspired by plain jealousy. Altman signed onto president Donald Trump's [$500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure deal](), which had Musk — who has grown extremely close to Trump — [seething with rage]() last month as he was left out. According to the *WSJ*, xAI is backing Musk's bid. The Grok AI creator would presumably merge with the ChatGPT maker if the bid were to be accepted. Musk has also secured several other investors, including a number of VC funds and founders. Independent of Musk's latest bid, OpenAI is [reportedly trying to raise another $40 billion]() which would value it at a gargantuan $340 billion. "No thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want," Altman [posted on X]() after the story went public, in a clear dig at Musk. "Swindler," Musk [replied](). **More on OpenAI:** *[Independent Autopsy Finds OpenAI Whistleblower's Bullet Wound Was Not Consistent With Suicide]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()