Musk vs. Altman: Tesla Roadster and OpenAI Conflicts

Musk and Altman clash over Tesla Roadster cancellation and OpenAI's direction. Musk accuses Altman of creating divisions within OpenAI, reigniting tensions between the Silicon Valley leaders.

Musk’s allegation was in reaction to a message by Altman regarding canceling a Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) order. Altman protected OpenAI, specifying that he had actually helped turn the organization right into what should be the largest charitable ever.

Roadster Refund Dispute

This public exchange is the current in a series of conflicts between Musk and Altman. Earlier today, the two clashed over Altman’s terminated booking for the long-delayed Tesla Roadster, which reignited stress in between both influential figures in Silicon Valley.

Musk’s OpenAI Allegations

Musk uploaded a recap of Ilya Sutskever’s October 2025 deposition in Musk’s claim against OpenAI, and called it “A tale in 52 pages.” The memo affirms that Altman developed divisions amongst executives– such as setting Mira Murati versus Daniela Amodei and criticizes him for falling short to reject researcher Greg Brockman despite Dario Amodei’s push to settle control over research, subjecting leadership rifts that existed well before the 2023 board dilemma.

Recently, Altman shared a collection of screenshots revealing his effort to terminate his Roadster order and request a reimbursement. This complied with Altman’s objection of Tesla for stopping working to offer a $50,000 refund for the Roadster, which was expected to start manufacturing quickly. Musk fact-checked him and informed the problem was settled in 24 hours and Altman was released the reimbursement.