The rivalry between two respected tech giants continues, which is obvious in a congratulatory post that may need reignited the rift between the 2 former allies in AI tech. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took a swipe at his rival, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, after the latter congratulated David Sacks for being nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump because the “White House AI and Crypto Czar.”

Elon Musk Mocks Altman In X Post

Analysts said that there is no such thing as a love lost between the 2 tech titans who were previously allies in developing OpenAI.

Altman recently posted on X congratulating David Sacks who was appointed by Trump to oversee the crafting of cryptocurrency regulations within the US.

Musk responded to the OpenAI executive’s commendatory post with a laughing emoji, indicating that the SpaceX CEO is mocking his rival.

What appears to be an innocent post may need exposed the depth of the rift between Musk and Altman.

Wary Of Musk’s Political Influence

While attending The Recent York Times’ DealBook Summit, Altman believed that Musk wouldn’t use his political clout to harm his rivals, saying, “I feel pretty strongly that Elon will do the correct thing.”

The OpenAI executive remarked that if Musk used his political power to harm his competitors and advance his business, it could be profoundly “un-American.”

“I don’t think people would tolerate that,” Altman told Bloomberg.

Sacks’ appointment as Trump’s crypto czar shows the influence the SpaceX big boss has on the incoming administration.

Musk himself will probably be one in all the heads of the US Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) which goals to chop federal spending by $2 trillion.

Former Partners

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are co-founders of OpenAI along with other tech enthusiasts. Nevertheless, things didn’t work out between the 2 tech giants which led to their fallout.

The SpaceX CEO exited the maker of ChatGPT in 2018. Since leaving OpenAI, Musk has develop into a vocal critic of the highest generative AI firm.

Elon Musk and Sam Altman (right). Credits: Marc Piasecki; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Musk condemned OpenAI for reneging on its founding principles. He portrayed the generative AI company as a for-profit firm that went back on its non-profit foundation, adding that it means OpenAI deceived its funders, the general public, and regulators.

Furthermore, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against the AI company for harming rivals like his xAI by performing anticompetitive behavior.

He argued that Altman and his group are colluding with Microsoft, its primary financier, to hinder xAI from making progress in the sector.

Altman denied Musk’s accusations, saying they perceived xAI as a “serious competitor.”

“I assumed what Elon was doing was absolutely incredible for the world, and I actually have different feelings about him now, but I’m glad he exists,” Altman remarked.

Featured image from NPR, chart from TradingView