Inside the Elon Musk vs Sam Altman Feud: A Full Timeline Since 2018

The social media feeds are buzzing, Silicon Valley is whispering, and the world is glued to their X timelines (formerly Twitter), following every update in the ongoing public spat between two of tech's biggest names - Elon Musk and Sam Altman.

The Public Dispute Over Apple Favouritism - 2025

The latest chapter in the Musk vs Altman fight sparked when Elon Musk publicly accused Apple of favouritism. According to Musk, the iPhone giant unfairly boosted OpenAI's ChatGPT to the top of the App Store, calling it "an unequivocal antitrust violation." He even threatened legal action against Apple.

Sam Altman didn't stay silent. In a sharp rebuttal, he called Musk's statement "a remarkable claim" and fired back, accusing Musk of manipulating X's algorithms to benefit himself and his companies while suppressing competitors.

Things escalated quickly. Musk branded Altman's response a "bullshit post" and called him a liar. Altman then challenged Musk to publicly confirm - in writing - that he had never instructed changes to X's algorithm to harm rivals.

But this isn't just a story of 2025. The rivalry has been brewing since 2018, when the two were once allies under the same roof at OpenAI. Here's a complete timeline of how this tech bromance turned into one of Silicon Valley's most bitter rivalries.

Timeline: Elon Musk vs Sam Altman - From Allies to Foes

2015-2018: The Founding Days of OpenAI - From Partners to Pressure

2015: Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and others co-founded OpenAI with the mission to develop safe and ethical artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

2017-2018: Musk grows increasingly concerned that OpenAI isn't advancing fast enough to compete with Google. He proposes taking control of OpenAI and turning it into a for-profit venture under his leadership.

2018: The board, including Altman, rejects Musk's proposal. Musk steps down from the board, citing a potential conflict of interest with Tesla's AI work - but tension is already simmering.

2019: OpenAI Goes "Capped-Profit" - Musk Speaks Out

-OpenAI transitions into a capped-profit model and receives a $1 billion investment from Microsoft.

-Musk criticises the shift, claiming OpenAI was meant to be open-source and nonprofit.

-He begins subtly throwing shade at the company and Altman on social media.

2020-2022: Tensions Bubble Beneath the Surface

-Public interactions remain negligible, but Musk continues voicing concerns over AI safety and centralised power - indirect jabs many interpret as aimed at OpenAI.

-Altman continues building OpenAI's reputation, especially after the successful launches of GPT-2 and GPT-3.

2023: ChatGPT's Explosion and Musk's Return to AI

-With ChatGPT becoming a rage, OpenAI has become a household name.

-Musk criticises the tool's biases and lack of transparency. In March 2023, he announced the launch of xAI, his own AI company meant to create "truth-seeking" AI.

-Altman avoids engaging directly in public attacks.

2024: Year of Lawsuits and Sarcasm

Elon Musk sues OpenAI and Altman for breaching their original non-profit mission. He accused OpenAI and Microsoft of violating antitrust law by prioritising investment opportunities on agreements not to deal with the companies' rivals. 

OpenAI calls the lawsuit "incoherent," and Altman sarcastically tweets, "We're just trying to make something useful for people."

Tech Twitter erupts. Memes fly. The feud is no longer just business-it's personal.

This isn't just about bruised egos. It's about the future of AI, free speech, algorithmic power, and who gets to shape the digital world.

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