Musk's Bold Bid: $97.4 Billion Offer for OpenAI Control

A group led by Elon Musk proposes to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion. This marks a new chapter in the power struggle between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the firm's future direction. Musk aims for a return to open-source AI, aligning it with its initial goals.

In a striking development, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and a consortium of investors have placed a $97.4 billion bid to acquire control of OpenAI, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This aggressive offer escalates a long-standing conflict between Musk and OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, with both vying for influence over the AI frontier.

Musk's lawyer, Marc Toberoff, confirmed that the proposal was submitted to OpenAI's board, emphasizing Musk's vision of restoring the company's original mission as an open-source, safety-focused entity. Despite attempts to reach out, neither OpenAI nor its stakeholders including Microsoft have commented on the proposal.

The bid also raises the possibility of a merger between OpenAI and Musk's AI company, xAI, if successful. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but departed before its significant rise, has since launched xAI, a direct competitor. This bid arrives as OpenAI transitions from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity to fund cutting-edge AI model development, a move Musk criticizes as straying from its intended purpose to benefit humanity.