Elon Musk, along with his AI startup xAI and a group of investors, has made a surprising $97.4 billion offer to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. This bold move comes as part of Musk's ongoing legal battle with the artificial intelligence firm he helped establish in 2015.

The proposal, revealed on February 10, 2025, aims to return OpenAI to its original nonprofit status and research-focused mission. However, OpenAI's current CEO, Sam Altman, swiftly rejected the offer on Musk's social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

"no thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want."— Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO

This exchange highlights the growing tension between Musk and OpenAI's leadership since his departure from the company's board in 2018. Musk has been critical of OpenAI's shift towards a for-profit model and its partnership with Microsoft, which now owns roughly 49% of OpenAI's equity following a $13 billion investment.

The legal dispute between Musk and OpenAI intensified last year when Musk filed a lawsuit alleging that the company had betrayed its founding principles. A federal judge is currently weighing Musk's request to block OpenAI's transition to a for-profit entity, though the judge expressed skepticism about Musk's claims of irreparable harm.

OpenAI has responded to Musk's lawsuit, calling his claims "incoherent" and "frivolous." The company maintains that it is operating independently and not as a de facto subsidiary of Microsoft, despite the tech giant's significant investment.

As the AI industry continues to evolve rapidly, this high-stakes battle between tech titans underscores the complex interplay of innovation, ethics, and corporate interests in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.