Elon Musk launched a $97.4 billion bid to take management of OpenAI. The Wall Road Journal reported a gaggle of buyers led by Musk’s xAI submitted an unsolicited supply to the corporate’s board of administrators on Monday. The group desires to purchase the nonprofit that controls OpenAI’s for-profit arm.
When requested for remark, an OpenAI spokesperson pointed Engadget to an X publish from CEO Sam Altman. “No thanks however we’ll purchase twitter for $9.74 billion in order for you,” Altman wrote on the social media platform Musk owns.
On Friday, OpenAI’s board of administrators formally rejected Musk’s bid. “OpenAI is just not on the market, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s newest try and disrupt his competitors,” the corporate stated 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 is just not on the market, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s newest try and 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 pressure for good it as soon as was,” Musk stated in an announcement his legal professional shared with The Journal. “We’ll ensure that occurs.”
It is onerous to say how severe this bid from Musk is and what — if any — likelihood it has to succeed. OpenAI is just not a conventional firm, and the nonprofit construction Sam Altman and others on the firm need it to get away from might in reality defend it from Musk’s supply. Had been OpenAI a for-profit firm with publicly traded shares Musk’s bid would possible set off what’s identified in company regulation as a Revlon second, the place, underneath sure circumstances, the corporate’s board of administrators can be compelled to promote to the best bidder to maximise shareholder earnings.
Replace 02/14 4:34PM ET: Added response from OpenAI’s board of administrators.
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