AI Titans Clash: Sam Altman Calls Elon Musk ‘Insecure’ Amid OpenAI Power Struggle - Musk Replies - "He Has Crazy Eyes"

The ongoing rivalry between two of the most influential figures in artificial intelligence, Sam Altman and Elon Musk, has finally escalated into a heated public exchange.

In a recent Bloomberg interview, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman didn’t hold back when discussing Musk, calling him “insecure” and claiming that he “isn’t a happy person.”

This comes after Musk’s legal team submitted an unsolicited bid to take control of OpenAI’s nonprofit arm—an offer Altman swiftly dismissed, reaffirming that the company is “not for sale.”

The friction between the two tech moguls stems from their shared history. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside Altman but later parted ways, citing concerns over its shift toward a for-profit model. Since then, he has launched his own AI venture, xAI, while continuing to criticize OpenAI’s direction.

Altman suggested that Musk’s latest move is more about disruption than genuine interest. “He obviously is a competitor,” Altman said. “I wish he would just compete by building a better product, but I think there’s been a lot of tactics—many lawsuits, all sorts of other crazy stuff. Now this.”

Musk didn’t take the remarks lightly, firing back with a social media post branding the OpenAI chief as “Scam Altman” and mocking his expression.

Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, insists that the billionaire’s bid is about restoring OpenAI to its original mission—focusing on open-source AI and safety. “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk himself used a more direct appraoch by claiming "Scam Altman has crazy eyes".

Meanwhile, Altman is pushing forward with his own ambitious plans, including a potential $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure under the so-called ‘Stargate’ initiative. However, OpenAI’s restructuring into a for-profit entity is under legal scrutiny, with federal antitrust lawsuits targeting the company, Altman himself, and key investor Microsoft.

With OpenAI’s future hanging in the balance, the battle between Altman and Musk is far from over. Whether Musk’s bid is a disruption or a genuine attempt to reclaim OpenAI’s vision, one thing is clear—this AI war is only getting started.