Elon Musk, Sam Altman reignite feud after Apple lawsuit against OpenAI

Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have exchanged fresh barbs on social media after Apple sued OpenAI, its hardware partner io and two former Apple employees over alleged trade secret theft.

The latest public clash comes as tensions between the two AI leaders continue years after they co-founded OpenAI together.

Apple lawsuit sparks new exchange

The feud flared up after Apple filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI, io and two former Apple employees of misappropriating trade secrets. OpenAI denied the allegations, saying it had "no interest in other companies' trade secrets."

Reacting to the controversy, Musk mocked Altman on X, repeatedly referring to him as "Scam Altman" and reviving criticisms linked to OpenAI's transition from a nonprofit to a commercial company.

Altman hit back by praising OpenAI's latest AI model before joking that Musk's criticism was proof the company was succeeding.

He also accused Musk of misleading public market investors over plans for space-based data centres, prompting Musk to respond that SpaceX expected to begin deploying them next year.

Long-running rivalry continues

Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but their relationship later deteriorated over disagreements about the company's leadership, funding and long-term direction.

In 2024, Musk sued OpenAI, Altman and company president Greg Brockman, alleging they abandoned the organisation's original nonprofit mission. A federal jury ruled against Musk in May, though he has said he plans to appeal.

Musk now leads rival AI company xAI, while Altman continues to oversee OpenAI as competition in the artificial intelligence sector intensifies.