The rivalry between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not going to end anytime soon, in fact it may also transcend Earth. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Altman has now explored the idea of investing billions into space ventures, including potential partnerships or acquisitions of rocket companies in a bid to challenge Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Altman has reportedly entered into discussions with Stoke Space, a startup founded in 2020 by former Blue Origin engineers. The proposals included OpenAI making equity investments with the goal of acquiring a controlling stake. Those talks have since stalled, but the report underscores Altman’s interest in expanding beyond AI into aerospace.
Altman’s association to Stole Space dates back to his tenure at Y Combinator, which invested in the company. He has also publicly mused about building a rocked company on podcasts.
Sam Altman to take on Elon Musk’s Neuralink
This is not the first time that Altman is working on giving competition to Elon Musk. In August it was reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman co-founded a brain-computer interface startup called Merge Labs. The upcoming startup will compete against Elon Musk’s Neuralink as both the companies will not race to merge humans with artificial intelligence. As reported by Financial Times, Merge Labs is in the process of raising $850 million, with $250 million expected to come from OpenAI’s venture fund.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will be the co-founder, however he is not said to be involved in day-to-day operations. The startup is reportedly also working with Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, Altman’s other venture focused on biometric digital identity.
Elon Musk vs Sam Altman rivalry
If Altman pursues space exploration, it would mark yet another front in his rivalry with Musk.
- Musk co-founded OpenAI but left in 2018 after unsuccessfully attempting to merge it with Tesla.
- He later tried to purchase OpenAI, but was rebuffed.
- Musk has since launched his own AI company, filed lawsuits against OpenAI, and remains one of Altman’s fiercest critics.
- Altman has launched ventures competing with Musk’s Neuralink, and OpenAI is developing a social media platform to rival Musk’s X.
