7 times Elon Musk and Sam Altman mocked each other online

A very few rivalries in the tech world have been as captivating or as petty as the ongoing feud between Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

What started as a partnership in 2015, when both were co-founders of OpenAI, has evolved into a digital war of words across social media platforms.

Musk left OpenAI in 2018, citing disagreements over policy and direction. 

Since then, the two billionaires haven’t just competed in labs and boardrooms; they’ve regularly taken shots at each other on X (formerly Twitter).

Here are seven times Musk and Altman openly mocked each other online.

1. Musk accuses Apple of favouritism—Altman fires back

In one of their most recent public clashes on X (formerly Twitter), Musk accused Apple of deliberately favouring ChatGPT while sidelining his chatbot Grok in App Store rankings.

He called the move an “unequivocal antitrust violation” and threatened legal action.

Altman jumped in with a cold, two-word retort: “skill issue.”

He later twisted the knife by suggesting Musk sign an affidavit swearing he had never manipulated the X algorithm for personal gain.

2. Altman accuses Musk of rigging X for his own companies

Last week, Altman accused Musk of exploiting X’s algorithm to promote his own ventures while suppressing competitors.

"This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn't like," Altman wrote on X.

He hinted at legal discovery to uncover Musk’s practices, while coolly adding, “OpenAI will just stay focused on making great products.”

3. Grok’s “white genocide in South Africa” blunder and Altman’s response

Earlier this year, Musk’s Grok chatbot faced backlash after repeatedly referencing “white genocide in South Africa” in unrelated responses.

Seizing the opportunity, Altman sarcastically mocked the glitch:

“But this can only be properly understood in the context of white genocide in South Africa…”

The parody went viral, leaving Musk’s AI project red-faced.

4. Musk’s 18-hour anti-Altman marathon

In January 2025, Musk went on an 18-hour spree, posting more than 20 times about Altman after the US government tapped OpenAI as a lead partner in its Stargate AI initiative.

Musk accused Altman of being “a swindler” and mocked the program’s $500 billion budget.

He even resurfaced an old Altman post criticising Trump, suggesting hypocrisy.

5. Altman’s Twitter takeover burn

When Musk bought Twitter (now X) in 2022, Altman couldn’t resist a dig:

“On absolutely no one’s 2022 bingo card was Twitter becoming the hardest working tech company.”

Musk, never one to stay quiet, shot back with a cheeky “Plot twist!”—a rare moment where both seemed more playful than bitter.

6. “Scam Altman” and the OpenAI files

Most recently, Musk reignited tensions after a leaked report, The OpenAI Files, questioned the company’s governance and safety.

Musk pounced, rebranding his rival as “Scam Altman.” 

The insult spread quickly, with Musk’s followers amplifying his skepticism of OpenAI’s motives.

7. Musk’s Coldplay meme jab

In July 2025, Musk joined the frenzy around a viral Coldplay concert “kiss cam” video involving tech company, Astronomer’s CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot.

Taking to X, Musk posted a meme that parodies the viral moment, replacing Byron and Cabot with Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive.

The meme was captioned “Viva la Vida,” a nod to the Coldplay concert where the original incident occurred.

While not the harshest insult, the jab was a reminder that Musk never misses a chance to turn internet moments into digs at Altman.