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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has spoken out about his complex relationship with Elon Musk, describing the Tesla CEO as a "bully". Altman also shared his thoughts on Musk's tendency to engage in public feuds with other prominent figures, such as Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. “Right now, it's me. It's been Bezos, Gates, Zuckerberg, lots of other people,” Altman told the Free Press in an interview published Thursday.
Despite this, Altman acknowledged Musk's contributions to OpenAI's early success and praised him as a "legendary entrepreneur." Notably, the two co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk departed the board in 2018 and has since become a vocal critic of the company, even launching a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft.
Altman believes Musk's issues with OpenAI stem from his desire for control and thinks that the Tesla CEO would be pleased with the company's direction if he were in charge. "Everything we're doing, I believe Elon would be happy about if he were in control of OpenAI," he said.
However, when addressing concerns about Musk's potential influence under a second Trump administration, Altman expressed confidence that Musk wouldn't misuse his power to harm competitors.
Altman believes that Musk's behaviour on Twitter doesn't necessarily translate to how he would wield power in the political arena. "I think there are people who will really be a jerk on Twitter who will still not abuse the system of the country," he said.
"I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing. "It would be profoundly un-American to use political power to hurt your competitors and advantage your own businesses," Altman previously said in an interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit.
Musk is currently suing OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming they shifted from the project's original nonprofit mission. He has since launched xAI, reportedly valued at $50 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal, making it one of the world's most valuable startups.