Sam Altman accused Elon Musk on Saturday of using unproven claims about space data centers to attract public market investors, escalating a feud between the two tech leaders. The accusation referenced SpaceX's AI1 satellite program, which combines SpaceX and xAI to build orbital compute nodes with up to 150 kW of peak payload power, though Altman previously told the TBPN podcast in February that space-based compute would not provide OpenAI meaningful capacity within 10 years. The public dispute intensified after Apple sued OpenAI for alleged trade secret theft, with Musk using the lawsuit to renew attacks on Altman and accusing him of stealing proprietary data.
Altman's remark on X directly challenged the viability of SpaceX's satellite-based AI infrastructure. Musk responded by stating the satellites would begin flying next year, while pointing to Altman's legal issues and accusing him of "stealing an open source AI charity" and "all of Apple's phone technology."
Apple Sues OpenAI for Alleged Trade Secret Theft
Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI accusing the company of stealing trade secrets after the iPhone maker alleged two former staff members took proprietary data with them before joining OpenAI. Musk, who has previously accused OpenAI of misusing proprietary data, used the Apple suit to renew his attacks on Altman. The lawsuit triggered the latest exchange between Altman and Musk on Saturday.
SpaceX Stocks Trade 36% Below Post-IPO Peak
SpaceX stock (SPCX) closed at $145.30 on Friday, approximately 36% below its post-IPO high of $225.64 reached in mid-June, and near its 52-week low of $145.07 set earlier in the week. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around SPCX remained in the 'bearish' zone, while chatter stayed at 'extremely low' levels over the past day.
The stock's float remains low post-IPO, with insider lockups expiring later this year. Mark Yusko, managing director of Morgan Creek Capital, compared SpaceX to Dogecoin (DOGE), stating that SpaceX entered the index with about 4% of the shares floated. Yusko added that the deal was a strategy for Musk and early investors to obtain liquidity for an exit from retail investors.
OpenAI filed its IPO on June 8, but no official listing date or share prices have been confirmed.
FAQ
What did Sam Altman accuse Elon Musk of on Saturday?
Sam Altman accused Elon Musk on Saturday of using unproven claims about space data centers to attract public market investors. The accusation referenced SpaceX's AI1 satellite program, though Altman previously stated in February that space-based compute would not provide OpenAI meaningful capacity within 10 years.
How has SpaceX stock performed since its IPO?
SpaceX stock (SPCX) closed at $145.30 on Friday, approximately 36% below its post-IPO high of $225.64 reached in mid-June, and near its 52-week low of $145.07 set earlier in the week. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits remained bearish with extremely low chatter levels.
