OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pointed to early tensions with Tesla chief Elon Musk as a defining moment in OpenAI’s trajectory, saying he “held the line” against Musk’s push for unilateral control over the ChatGPT-maker.
“I was thinking about our upcoming trial with Elon and remembering how much I held the line on not being willing to agree to the unilateral control he wanted over OpenAI. I’m proud of that, and the narrow path we navigated then to allow the continued existence of OpenAI, and all the achievements that followed.”
He framed that decision as central to preserving OpenAI’s independence and enabling its long-term survival as an institution.
At the same time, Altman acknowledged personal regret over past conflicts in the company’s history, describing the past several years as “intense, chaotic, and high-pressure.”
“I am not proud of being conflict-averse, which has caused great pain for me and OpenAI. I am not proud of handling myself badly in a conflict with our previous board that led to a huge mess for the company. I have made many other mistakes throughout the insane trajectory of OpenAI.”
The remarks come amid a public statement where Altman revealed that a Molotov cocktail was thrown at his residence around 3:45 a.m. Friday, causing property damage but no physical injuries. A suspect was arrested by the San Francisco police on Friday; further details are yet to come.
OpenAI was co-founded in 2015 by Sam Altman and Elon Musk as a nonprofit research initiative.
In 2018, Musk formally left OpenAI. The organisation later restructured into a “capped-profit” entity known as OpenAI LP, allowing it to raise capital more aggressively while limiting investor returns.
Atman, Musk feud continues
In February 2024, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman, alleging the company had moved away from its original mission and was prioritising the interests of major backer Microsoft.
In September 2025, xAI filed a separate lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco, accusing OpenAI of a “deeply troubling pattern” of hiring former xAI employees to obtain confidential information related to Grok, its AI chatbot.
Last month, Musk said on X that any proceeds from a legal victory would go to charity. Most recently, on April 8, Musk stated in a revised filing that any compensation awarded in his case against OpenAI and Microsoft should go to the OpenAI Foundation rather than to him personally. According to The Wall Street Journal, Musk has sought more than $150 billion in damages.
The dispute marks the latest escalation ahead of a federal trial scheduled for April 27 in Oakland, California.
Also Read: ETtech Explainer: Inside the OpenAI–Elon Musk drama
