Altman targets Musk empire

OpenAI chief Sam Altman expands his moves to challenge Elon Musk across several of his businesses.

Altman Targets Musk Empire Across OpenAI X Neuralink Tesla

Over the past year, Sam Altman has expanded beyond OpenAI into ventures that directly intersect with Musk‑owned businesses. He helped launch Merge Labs, a brain‑computer interface startup valued at about $850 million, and he is a cofounder while also maintaining a smaller stake in Neuralink. At the same time, Altman is steering OpenAI toward a social network project that would resemble X, Musk’s platform previously known as Twitter. OpenAI has claimed strong user engagement with ChatGPT, while OpenAI’s reported plans to develop a social feed aim to compete for attention in a space long dominated by Musk’s empire. In mobility and driving tech, OpenAI tied with Applied Intuition to advance AI‑powered driving experiences, a move Altman described as part of broader AI progress. He has also backed Longshot Space and Glydways, signaling a tilt toward competing with SpaceX and Tesla through space and robocar ideas. The legal battle between OpenAI and Musk remains unresolved, with Musk pursuing and then re‑filing lawsuits against OpenAI over its nonprofit to for‑profit restructuring, and a jury trial slated for next year.

The clash between Altman and Musk reads like a template of a new tech era where leaders extend influence across hardware, software, and platforms. Altman’s bets broaden AI power into brain sensors, self‑driving tech, and social networking, raising questions about governance and conflicts of interest. Yet the moves also reflect a broader trend: AI leaders are building platform‑level leverage that could redefine competition as much as any product spec. If OpenAI eyes a rival social network and merges AI with vehicles, regulators and investors will watch closely for how data, control, and safety are balanced. The tension between two high‑profile founders may sharpen innovation, but it could also invite closer scrutiny of how AI power is distributed and who owns it.

Highlights

The next moves will test how far AI leadership can extend into the real world without losing sight of safety and accountability.