Sam Altman has dismissed Elon Musk’s proposal to launch AI data centers into orbit by 2027, arguing the plan is a tactic to mislead investors following SpaceX’s recent IPO, which valued the company above $2 trillion. Musk, who repeatedly branded his rival “Scam Altman”, fired back at the accusation.
The exchange caps years of hostility between the two, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 before their partnership collapsed in 2018. Musk sued Altman in 2024 for allegedly betraying the organization’s mission, but a jury ruled in Altman’s favor earlier this year in a California trial.
Compounding OpenAI’s legal challenges, Apple filed a lawsuit on July 10 alleging trade-secret theft related to hardware development. The complaint specifically names two former Apple employees who joined OpenAI: Tang Tan and Chang Liu.