The rivalry between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has intensified, centering on a groundbreaking artificial intelligence project known as Stargate, reported The Associated Press.
The dispute now involves the support of United States President Donald Trump, highlighting a clash of egos and strategic priorities between two tech titans.
Trump, on Tuesday, announced a new partnership involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank to invest up to $500 billion in Stargate -- a venture aimed at developing AI infrastructure.
Trump described the initiative as 'a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential' under his administration.
Musk, however, questioned the viability of this ambitious venture.
In a post on his social media platform X, Musk cast doubt on the financial readiness of the project's backers.
'They don't actually have the money,' Musk wrote. 'SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.'
Altman promptly fired back on Wednesday, refuting Musk's claims and inviting him to visit Stargate's initial construction site in Texas.
Altman asserted that the project's scope would benefit the nation, contrasting Musk's criticisms with patriotic undertones.
'This is great for the country,' Altman wrote, urging Musk to prioritise America's interests in his new advisory role with the Trump administration.
As per the AP report, the public spat over Stargate reflects a deeper, long-standing conflict between Musk and Altman.
The animosity began years ago when the two served on OpenAI's board, clashing over its leadership and vision.
Musk, an early investor and board member of OpenAI, eventually left the organisation and later filed a lawsuit accusing it of abandoning its nonprofit mission to pursue commercial profits.
The legal battle escalated last year when Musk requested a court injunction to prevent OpenAI from converting into a for-profit entity. A federal court hearing is scheduled for February.
In response to his fallout with OpenAI, Musk founded his own AI company, xAI, which is building a data center in Memphis, Tennessee.
Musk alleges that OpenAI, supported by Microsoft’s vast computing resources, enjoys an unfair competitive advantage.
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