Elon Musk, the tech entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX, is leading a consortium of investors in a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT. This move escalates the ongoing dispute between Musk and OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, over the company’s direction.

Musk’s proposal, backed by his AI firm xAI and other investors, seeks to return OpenAI to its original mission—an open and transparent AI focused on public benefit. In contrast, Altman has transformed OpenAI into a for-profit entity, securing deep ties with Big Tech, particularly Microsoft.

Altman quickly dismissed Musk’s bid with a sarcastic counteroffer to buy Musk’s platform, X (formerly Twitter), for $9.74 billion. The exchange highlights the growing tensions between the two leaders and the competing visions for AI’s future.

OpenAI, originally founded as a nonprofit in 2015, has grown into a tech giant, valued at $157 billion and projected to surpass $300 billion. Musk, who left OpenAI’s board in 2018, has since criticized its shift toward corporate control, warning that AI should serve the public rather than powerful tech elites.

This battle isn’t just about business—it’s about who controls the future of AI and whether it remains a tool for innovation and free thought or becomes dominated by Big Tech interests.