Elon Musk and Sam Altman continued their public feud on X, with the two tech leaders exchanging sharp remarks over OpenAI’s direction and their past partnership. The latest round of sparring came on Sunday, when Altman responded to a post from Musk accusing him of "stealing a non-profit." The conflict traces back to 2015, when Musk, Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever, and Greg Brockman co-founded OpenAI as a nonprofit research organization with the goal of developing safe, open-source artificial intelligence. Musk stepped down from the board in 2018, later launching his own AI venture, xAI, in 2023. Altman has remained at the helm of OpenAI, guiding its evolution into a major force in the AI world. In a post on Saturday, Musk claimed Altman had taken over a nonprofit and turned it into a profit-driven entity, writing, “You stole a non-profit.” Altman fired back on Sunday, countering, “I helped turn the thing you left for dead into what should be the largest non-profit ever.” He added, “You know as well as anyone a structure like what OpenAI has now is required to make that happen,” referencing the company’s hybrid nonprofit-for-profit model. Altman also pointed to Musk’s own past actions, noting that Musk had once wanted Tesla to take over OpenAI and eliminate its nonprofit status entirely. “You said we had a 0% chance of success,” Altman said. “Now you have a great AI company and so do we.” He concluded with a plea: “Can’t we all just move on?” The latest exchange began last week after Altman shared screenshots of a 2018 email thread involving a $45,000 reservation for a next-generation Tesla Roadster. The messages also showed Altman requesting a $50,000 refund, which was ultimately denied. The post appeared to be a lighthearted jab, but Musk seized on it to reiterate his long-standing criticism of OpenAI. Musk has been vocal about his belief that OpenAI has strayed from its original mission. In a 2023 post, he wrote that the company was created as an open-source, nonprofit effort to counter Google’s AI dominance, but has since become a closed, profit-focused entity controlled by Microsoft. He has also taken legal action, claiming in court filings that Altman and Brockman misled him about the company’s direction. His legal team sought an injunction to block OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit structure. That transition was completed in October. OpenAI restructured into a for-profit entity called OpenAI Group PBC, while a nonprofit foundation, now known as the OpenAI Foundation, retains control and equity. The foundation currently holds ownership in the for-profit arm, which is valued at approximately $130 billion—making it one of the most well-funded philanthropic organizations in history. OpenAI emphasized that both entities share the same mission: advancing AI responsibly and addressing its global challenges. “The OpenAI Foundation and OpenAI Group will work in concert to advance solutions to hard problems and opportunities posed by AI progress,” the company stated in a blog post. Despite the ongoing tensions, OpenAI has grown rapidly since launching ChatGPT in 2022, becoming one of the most influential AI platforms in the world. Musk’s criticisms continue to resonate publicly, but the company maintains its focus on innovation and long-term impact.