From Altman to Zuckerberg: Inside Elon Musk’s fiercest tech feuds

Few figures in the tech industry inspire as much fascination and controversy as Elon Musk. 

The billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI is as famous for his innovations as he is for his confrontations.

Be it on X (formerly Twitter), in interviews, or even through lawsuits, Musk has turned his disputes into spectacles. 

Below is a deep dive into Musk’s most high-profile clashes with some of the world’s most powerful names in technology.

Mark Zuckerberg

The Musk–Zuckerberg rivalry dates back to September 2016, when a SpaceX rocket exploded and destroyed a Facebook satellite.

Zuckerberg didn’t hide his anger, calling the loss “deeply disappointing.” Musk tried to smooth things over with a free launch offer, but tensions lingered.

The rivalry escalated when the two clashed over the development of artificial intelligence (AI). 

Zuckerberg, a strong proponent of AI, dismissed Musk’s warnings of “doomsday scenarios” as “pretty irresponsible.”

However, Musk fired back, saying Zuckerberg’s understanding of AI was “limited.”

Musk later fueled the fire during the Cambridge Analytica scandal, deleting Tesla and SpaceX’s Facebook pages and declaring, “Facebook sucks.”

Later in 2021, after the US Capitol riots, Musk even linked Facebook memes to the violence, cementing their feud as both personal and ideological.

Jeff Bezos

No feud is more symbolic of the tech billionaire era than the one between Musk and Bezos. 

Both built space exploration companies, Bezos with Blue Origin in 2000, Musk with SpaceX in 2002, and both are obsessed with pushing humanity beyond Earth.

But rather than collaborate, they’ve traded blows for years. From disputes over NASA launch pads to battles over drone ship patents, the rivalry often landed in courtrooms.

Moreover, Musk has publicly mocked Bezos, calling Blue Origin’s progress “pathetic” and its attempts to block SpaceX’s advances “phony tactics.”

Their competition spilled into wealth rankings, too. For years, Bezos was the world’s richest man, until Musk surged ahead in 2021, with a fortune of around $422.4 billion.

Bill Gates

Musk’s clashes with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates reveal his dislike for establishment figures in science and philanthropy.

Their disagreements began over climate change and Tesla’s role in fighting it, but grew sharper during the pandemic.

While Gates invested in vaccines and research, Musk downplayed COVID-19 risks, resisted lockdowns, and promoted controversial treatments.

Gates also accused Musk of making “outrageous comments,” prompting Musk to mock him as a “knucklehead.”

That said, Gates has credited Musk for advancing electric vehicles (EVs), calling Tesla’s impact on climate change “one of the greatest contributions anyone’s ever made.”

Sam Altman

Once united by a shared mission to build safe and accessible AI, Musk and Sam Altman’s relationship collapsed spectacularly as both are now engaged in one of the most dramatic and public feuds.

The two tech titans co-founded OpenAI in 2015, a nonprofit research lab aiming to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of humanity.

Later in 2018, Musk officially left the board, accusing the company of betraying its mission.

However, in 2023, Musk launched xAI, a rival company aimed at developing "truthful" and "transparent" AI.

Moving forward to 2024, the rivalry between the two tech titans escalated into the courtroom as Musk sued OpenAI and Altman.

Now, a jury trial is scheduled for March 2026, during which both companies will argue over OpenAI’s transformation and whether it has violated its founding mission.

Tim Cook

Musk’s feud with Apple CEO Tim Cook made headlines after reports surfaced that Musk demanded to be named CEO of Apple in exchange for selling Tesla to the company.

Cook allegedly responded with a blunt “f*** you” before hanging up. Musk denied the story, claiming he never spoke directly to Cook.

Regardless of accuracy, the tale fits Musk’s reputation: audacious, confrontational, and unwilling to play second to anyone.

Though the two men haven’t engaged in open warfare since, the story lingers as a snapshot of Musk’s outsized ambition.

Parag Agrawal

Musk and then-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal initially shared a cordial relationship, even dining together in March 2022.

But tensions quickly rose after Musk criticised Twitter’s activity levels and questioned whether the platform was “dying.”

Agrawal pushed back, sparking friction. Musk soon abandoned plans to join the board, instead offering to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share, saying he had no confidence in existing management.

Twitter accepted the deal in April, but Musk later grew hesitant, citing concerns over bot accounts.

However, one of Musk’s first moves after finally acquiring Twitter was firing Agrawal and other top executives.

it is worth noting that Musk's rivals are often other tech titans, making these feuds more than just personal grudges.