Elon Musk, along with a group of investors, has made a massive $97.4 billion offer to acquire OpenAI, reigniting tensions with the AI company he co-founded. Musk’s goal, according to his attorney Marc Toberoff, is to return OpenAI to its original nonprofit mission, rather than its current for-profit trajectory.

However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wasted no time in rejecting the offer. In a sharp response on Musk’s platform X, Altman quipped, "No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want." The remark was a clear dig at Musk, who purchased Twitter (now X) for $44 billion in 2022.

Musk and Altman, once collaborators in OpenAI’s early days, have been embroiled in a long-running feud since Musk left the company’s board in 2018. In 2023, Musk took legal action against OpenAI, accusing it of straying from its original mission to serve the public good. His lawsuit, filed in both state and federal courts in California, argues that OpenAI’s shift toward becoming a for-profit corporation violates its founding principles.

During a court hearing last week, Musk’s legal team pushed for an injunction to prevent OpenAI from moving forward with its for-profit transition. While U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers hasn’t made a final ruling, she acknowledged concerns about OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft and allowed the case to proceed toward trial. "It is plausible that what Mr. Musk is saying is true. We'll find out," she said, suggesting that Musk may have to take the stand.

Musk’s bid for OpenAI is backed by several investment firms, including Baron Capital Group, Valor Management, and Eight Partners VC. His attorney argues that if OpenAI insists on becoming a for-profit entity, it must fairly compensate the nonprofit for what it’s taking. "Musk, as an OpenAI co-founder and a successful tech leader, is best positioned to safeguard and advance its technology," Toberoff stated. As the legal battle intensifies, one thing is clear—Musk isn’t giving up his fight for control of OpenAI anytime soon.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Bloomberg