Syed Saif Ul Hassan 
Nov 02, 2025
An undated image of Roadster. — Tesla
Another wave of jibes between OpenAI's co-founder, Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has kicked off, garnering traction at Musk's social media platform X (known as Twitter before Musk's takeover).
The crux of the new give-and-take round between the two tech tycoons involves the reservation of the yet-to-launch Tesla Roadster by Altman, which followed an over seven-year-long wait for the Tesla sports car to date.
Altman shared the “tale in three acts” about his experience reserving a Tesla Roadster in 2018. After over seven years of waiting, the OpenAI CEO tried to cancel his $50,000 reservation and request a refund, but his email bounced back.
The notable point here is that Altman expressed his excitement for the car and frustration over the long wait, TechCrunch reported.
The second-generation Roadster has been facing numerous delays since its announcement in November 2017, with Musk promising a new version by the end of this year.
Musk responded to Altman’s post by accusing him of “stealing a nonprofit,” referencing ongoing tensions between them regarding OpenAI's transition to a for-profit model.
Musk implied that Altman’s account was incomplete, suggesting that the refund issue was resolved quickly and accusing Altman of not being truthful.
The latest series of jabs adds to the longstanding corporate conflicts between Musk and Altman while underscoring the ongoing rivalry and public disagreements between the two tech leaders.
