$WLD Regarding Elon Musk's (Elon Musk) consortium's negotiation to acquire OpenAI and Sam Altman's (Sam Altman) swift rejection, the following are key information points and background analysis based on multiple media reports:
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### 1. **Contents of the Acquisition Offer**
The investor consortium led by Musk proposed to acquire control of OpenAI for $97.4 billion on February 10, 2025, planning to merge it with its AI company xAI. This consortium includes Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital, Atreides Management, Vy Capital, 8VC (led by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale), and the investment fund of Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
Musk emphasized that this move aims to push OpenAI back to its founding principles of open-source, safety orientation, and non-profit mission, stating that his consortium would 'match or exceed any higher bid.'
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### 2. **Altman's Response**
OpenAI CEO Altman directly rejected Musk's offer on Musk's social platform X, stating: 'No, thank you. But if you are willing, we can acquire Twitter for $9.74 billion.' This response is interpreted as a jab at Musk's previous $44 billion acquisition of Twitter (now X platform), after which the company's valuation plummeted to $9.4 billion.
Musk immediately retaliated, calling Altman a 'fraud' and questioning his integrity.
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### 3. **Background and Conflicts Between Both Sides**
- **Founding Origins and Differences**
Musk and Altman are both co-founders of OpenAI (2015), initially positioned as a non-profit organization dedicated to developing general artificial intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of humanity. In 2018, due to differences in development direction (Musk advocated for open-source and non-profit, while Altman pushed for commercialization), Musk left the board and ceased funding support.
In 2019, OpenAI transitioned to a 'profit-cap' company, bringing in investors like Microsoft. Musk has repeatedly criticized this as a 'departure from its original purpose' and restarted litigation in August 2024, accusing OpenAI of monopolistic collaboration with Microsoft at the expense of public interest.
- **Legal and Public Relations Battle**
In recent years, Musk has sued OpenAI multiple times, demanding it restore open-source practices and prohibit profiting from AGI technology. Altman, however, claims Musk's accusations are 'baseless' and emphasizes that OpenAI's non-profit entity will gain reasonable equity value during the transformation.
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### 4. **Current Status and Future Plans of OpenAI**
- **Valuation and Financing**
OpenAI's current valuation has reached $157 billion (as of October 2024), and it plans to boost its valuation to $300 billion through a new round of financing, with SoftBank possibly leading a $40 billion investment. Additionally, OpenAI is advancing an AI infrastructure project called 'Stargate,' with a planned investment of $500 billion.
- **Transformation Controversy**
OpenAI plans to complete its transformation from a non-profit to a public benefit corporation by the end of 2026, but the valuation of the non-profit entity has become a key point of contention. Musk believes OpenAI may be underestimating the value of its non-profit portion and demands an open bidding process to ensure fair compensation.
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### 5. **Impact of the Incident and Future Direction**
- **Intensified Industry Competition**
If Musk's acquisition is successful, the merger of OpenAI with xAI could reshape the AI industry landscape, but Altman's refusal indicates that reconciliation is unlikely in the short term. OpenAI's financing plans may also face uncertainty due to Musk's interference.
- **Long-Term Ideological Conflict**
The fundamental conflict between the two sides lies in their values regarding AI development: Musk advocates for open-source and safety-first approaches, while Altman believes commercialization is a necessary means to drive technological breakthroughs. This conflict may continue to influence policies and innovation paths in the AI industry.
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**Conclusion**
This acquisition incident is not only a business game but also highlights the deep contradictions between open-source and closed-source, public good and profit in the AI field. Musk's aggressive strategy and Altman's steadfastness may become significant cases for future discussions on AI governance and ethics.
