The Musk-Altman Feud Is Kendrick-Drake But With a Lot More Impact on Our Lives

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The conflict stretches over several years and centers around one influential individual believing that the other has unjustly received recognition or accolades.

Their partnership thrived initially, built on mutual collaboration and support. However, it quickly waned, disappearing almost as swiftly as a song fades on a Spotify stream.

Ever since then, the conflict has been waged more covertly like a Cold War, with subtle jabs happening offstage. However, over the past year, it’s escalated into a public spectacle, becoming the focus of a major legal dispute.

Actually, I’m not referring to the ongoing beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Instead, I’m talking about the heated rivalry between Elon Musk and Sam Altman. Their hidden jabs and backstage maneuvers bear a striking resemblance to the most epic rap feud we’ve witnessed in recent years. As a fan of both their work and their wit, it’s fascinating to watch this modern-day power struggle unfold.

Yes, Musk-Altman is Nerd Drake-Kendrick.

Or as one wag on Bluesky put it, “Like Kendrick and Drake if both of them were Drake.”

If you found that amusing, it indeed is. Drake and Kendrick, in truth, offer top-notch entertainment. Their lyrics are clever and filled with symbolism, while their genuine rivalry, which stands out amidst today’s artificial celebrity affection, makes for a captivating drama – one that even a skilled Hollywood screenwriter might struggle to create. (Note: The intrigue of Lively-Baldoni is another example.)

In a move estimated at $97.4 billion, Elon Musk aims to acquire Altman’s OpenAI in a hostile takeover. Initially friends and co-founders of OpenAI in 2015 when Altman was a young entrepreneur (akin to Kendrick Lamar opening for Drake), their relationship turned sour. By 2024, they were exchanging barbs on social media. While the dispute revolves around which billionaire has the superior engineers, if you disregard that aspect, the conflict will trigger a similar emotional response in you.

Laugh for now, but prepare to weep later, because when it comes to the bro-oligarchs, the fight is not just about entertainment, it’s about impacting our very lives.

In 2018, Elon Musk resigned from OpenAI, a non-profit organization, due to a potential conflict with Tesla’s AI system. This left Marc Altman in charge. The following year, OpenAI established an unconventional setup where a for-profit division functioned under the oversight of the non-profit board. Altman and another executive, Greg Brockman, defended this move by stating it was necessary to recruit top talent; however, critics claimed it was a money-grabbing move that betrayed the original mission.

In a tweet posted in February 2023, amidst the height of ChatGPT’s popularity, Elon Musk criticized OpenAI for shifting its focus from being an open-source, non-profit organization to a closed-source, profit-driven company, predominantly controlled by Microsoft. He expressed that this was not the direction he had envisioned when founding the company.

The legal dispute between Musk and OpenAI escalated, with Musk initially filing a lawsuit against them in a California state court during winter. However, he withdrew the suit following the release of some incriminating emails. Later, in summer, Musk resumed the legal action, this time filing a federal lawsuit claiming fraud and breach of contract. The lawsuit described the deceit as being “of Shakespearean proportions,” using an unexpectedly modern term.

With Elon Musk and Eric Yuan (Altman) seated prominently near President Trump, tensions escalated when the president revealed the Altman-favoring Stargate project last month, a half-trillion dollar initiative led by Softbank to fund OpenAI and other artificial intelligence projects. Swiftly, Musk expressed skepticism, saying, “They don’t actually have the money,” which can be seen as a somewhat similar sentiment to “My recent business deal was worth $400 million; that’s a low offer these days.” (In this case, you could say Musk is like Drake and Altman is like Kendrick Lamar.)

Observing Elon Musk’s growing proximity to Donald Trump, Altman hasn’t hesitated to expedite product launches, which appear to be a swift reaction to Musk’s actions, much like Kendrick Lamar frequently releases songs following Drake’s releases. Last September, OpenAI unveiled its newest GPT model (boasting some limited reasoning abilities) just as Musk’s alliance with Trump was strengthening. In the meantime, Trump seems content to observe the unfolding drama from a distance.

This situation leads us to the recent announcement on Monday about an investor group headed by Musk aiming to purchase the non-profit organization, OpenAI. According to THR, this offer intends to make Musk the influential leader that OpenAI requires. Lawyer Marc Toberoff stated that, as the “most inventive and prosperous tech industry pioneer in history,” Musk is the individual most suited to safeguard and advance OpenAI’s technology.

As an enthusiast, I’m jumping into the mix here. Ari Emanuel has joined forces with Musk in this thrilling drama, accompanied by numerous investment funds. Interestingly, Emanuel has labeled Altman a “conman” and aligns with Musk’s narrative; he’s the Schoolboy Q of our story, the unseen force driving events behind the scenes.

It’s essential to acknowledge that both Musk and Altman seek favor in Hollywood’s eyes, given the potential for studios to become valuable clients. Intriguingly, OpenAI has recently introduced Sora, a groundbreaking text-to-video tool. This technology could be instrumental for Altman as he attempts to persuade studio executives that they should embrace it amidst artists’ warnings about job displacement and his company’s content-based legal hurdles.

In response, Elon Musk seems to be attempting to mend fences within a Hollywood community that has recently grown wary of him, with his latest move potentially barring Kanye West from X following the latter’s controversial anti-Semitic remarks. David Schwimmer had previously made an appeal for this action.

Fundamentally, there’s a philosophical basis for these actions. In the colloquial jargon often used in Silicon Valley, Sam Altman is considered an ‘e/acc’, or an effective accelerationist, which translates to his belief that all constraints should be lifted from the development of artificial intelligence. Elon Musk, on the other hand, identifies as an ‘EA’, or an effective altruist, signifying his focus on the long-term welfare of mankind and his intention to incorporate regulations and safety measures into these pursuits.

It’s unclear if Musk is genuinely concerned or merely apprehensive about Altman receiving all the recognition in the long run. I leave it to your discretion during your leisurely break from watching sports. (One might say, “Where’s Samuel L. Jackson when you need him?”) However, it is a fact that Musk has a rival company, xAI, which has attempted, with varying success, to challenge OpenAI, thus giving him a stake beyond what his mission-driven critics suggest.

According to several wealth indicators, Elon Musk surpasses Peter Thiel significantly: He boasts over $400 billion on paper (Thiel barely scrapes by with a billion), control over a leading social media platform, and now an influential position that allows him to potentially challenge and reshape the federal government significantly.

However, similar to Kendrick, Altman possesses a strong reputation and significant influence. In the near future, AI platforms will take over many of our cognitive tasks – powering the applications we rely on, being integrated into work environments, and acting as our assistants or even companions. The entity controlling these platforms won’t merely govern a major tech company; they will shape our lives. If OpenAI, with its significant partner Microsoft, emerges as the dominant force in this area, as it appears to be heading, Altman holds an influence that Musk lacks but covets deeply. Even if every car on the 405 is a Tesla, Altman would still exert a more profound impact on our daily lives.

Consequently, Musk is engaged in a struggle to take charge of Musk and Altman’s joint venture, OpenAI, or at the minimum, complicate matters so much that it becomes challenging for Altman to convert it into a profit-oriented enterprise independently.

So far, Altman has chosen not to engage with Musk’s provocation. When Musk presented a $97.4 billion criticism about why Altman shouldn’t be considered a golden boy, Altman countered by saying “No thank you, but we would buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you’re interested,” effectively flipping the critique of his relative wealth back onto Musk’s lack of investment value in this context. (Or, in Kendrick Lamar terms, “I gracefully turned down the challenge from e/acc.”)

Unlike Kendrick and Drake, at least the battle hasn’t turned to Musk’s paternity issues — yet.

Elon Musk’s offer might not materialize at all. In a recent interview during the Paris AI conference on Tuesday, Altman expressed his skepticism about the situation. He stated to Bloomberg, “Elon is always trying out various things.” Regarding this latest move, he added, “I believe he’s just attempting to delay us,” or possibly slow down an upcoming $40 billion funding round.

To be sure, much like many of Musk’s endeavors, it’s challenging to discern whether this move is backed by a well-thought-out strategy or simply an attempt to regain attention. Acquiring OpenAI would undeniably be a significant undertaking. Unlike Twitter, OpenAI is not swayed by monetary offers; as a non-profit, they aren’t obligated to accept the highest bid. Politics might play a role, but Altman has demonstrated a keen ability to navigate those waters effectively.

Additionally, Musk’s controversial acquisition of Twitter has been notoriously unfavorable, and is banks eager to experience a similar predicament? If Musk were to jeopardize Tesla’s stock in the process, it would only add to its current struggles. After all, Tesla isn’t exactly thriving at the moment.

It’s important to consider who would be best suited to oversee OpenAI. This decision could lean towards Elon Musk or Eric Yuan (Altman) based on their respective approaches and actions. Musk, for instance, has managed Twitter in a specific manner, while Altman is known for his pursuit of accelerationism. Both choices carry significant implications for the future. Keep in mind that these individuals are unlike typical individuals in certain aspects.

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2025-02-12 19:56