Elon Musk launched a $97.4 billion bid to take management of OpenAI. The Wall Avenue Journal reported a gaggle of buyers led by Musk’s xAI submitted an unsolicited provide to the corporate’s board of administrators on Monday. The group needs to purchase the nonprofit that controls OpenAI’s for-profit arm.
When requested for remark, an OpenAI spokesperson pointed Engadget to an X put up from CEO Sam Altman. “No thanks however we’ll purchase twitter for $9.74 billion if you’d like,” Altman wrote on the social media platform Musk owns.
On Friday, OpenAI’s board of administrators formally rejected Musk’s bid. “OpenAI shouldn’t be on the market, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s newest try to disrupt his competitors,” the corporate mentioned in a response attributed to Bret Taylor, the chair of OpenAI’s board of administrators. “Any potential reorganization of OpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to make sure AGI advantages all of humanity.”
Taylor, by the way, was the chairman of Twitter’s board earlier than Musk purchased the social media platform for $44 billion in 2022.
“OpenAI shouldn’t be on the market, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s newest try to disrupt his competitors. Any potential reorganization of OpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to make sure AGI advantages all of humanity.”
—Bret Taylor, Chair, on behalf of…
— OpenAI Newsroom (@OpenAINewsroom) February 14, 2025
“It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused drive for good it as soon as was,” Musk mentioned in an announcement his legal professional shared with The Journal. “We’ll make it possible for occurs.”
It is onerous to say how critical this bid from Musk is and what — if any — probability it has to succeed. OpenAI shouldn’t be a conventional firm, and the nonprofit construction Sam Altman and others on the firm need it to get away from might in truth shield it from Musk’s provide. Have been OpenAI a for-profit firm with publicly traded shares Musk’s bid would doubtless set off what’s recognized in company regulation as a Revlon second, the place, below sure circumstances, the corporate’s board of administrators can be pressured to promote to the very best bidder to maximise shareholder earnings.
Replace 02/14 4:34PM ET: Added response from OpenAI’s board of administrators.
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