New Delhi: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hit back at OpenAI chief Sam Altman after the latter claimed he was still waiting for a Tesla car more than seven years after booking it.
Musk accused Altman of leaving out “key details,” saying the issue had already been resolved and a refund issued within 24 hours.
The long-running tension between Musk and OpenAI CEO Altman flared up once again after Altman alleged that he has been waiting more than seven years for a Tesla vehicle he booked — and still hasn’t received it.
Altman claimed that he paid $45,000 as a pre-reservation fee for a Tesla car in July 2018, but despite multiple follow-ups, he has not received the vehicle or a refund.
In a post on social media platform X, Altman shared screenshots of his email exchanges with Tesla — including the booking confirmation, a refund request, and an error message showing his email bounced back with “Address not found.”
Calling it “a tale in three acts,” Altman wrote, “I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, however, quickly responded to Altman’s post, accusing him of leaving out key details.
“And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours. But that is in your nature,” Musk wrote in a pointed reply on X.
In a follow-up post, Musk added, “You stole a non-profit,” taking a sharp jab at Altman over OpenAI’s shift from a non-profit to a for-profit structure — a move Musk has publicly criticised in the past.
Tesla’s second-generation Roadster, which Altman is believed to have reserved, was first unveiled in 2017 as “the fastest production car ever made.”
However, the vehicle’s launch has been repeatedly delayed and remains in the “design development” stage, as per Tesla’s latest financial filings.
(IANS)
