Altman Slams Tesla: Demands Roadster Refund After 7 Years
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly demanded a refund for his 2018 Tesla Roadster deposit, highlighting a 7.5-year wait.
- Altman posted screenshots on X showing his original reservation, his recent refund request for $50,000, and the subsequent bounced email from Tesla.
- The public jab is seen as the latest move in an escalating personal and professional feud between Altman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
- Tesla's next-generation Roadster, unveiled in 2017, has faced numerous delays, with production originally slated for 2020.
Altman Calls Out Tesla Over Unfulfilled Roadster Promise
In a pointed social media post, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly aired his grievances with Tesla, demanding a refund for a second-generation Roadster he ordered in 2018. The move escalates the ongoing rivalry between two of Silicon Valley's most powerful figures, Altman and Elon Musk.
On Thursday, Altman shared a post on X titled "A tale in three acts," which included a screenshot of his original $45,000 deposit confirmation from July 2018. He followed it with a recent email sent to Tesla requesting to cancel the order and asking for a $50,000 refund. The final act? A screenshot showing the email had bounced.
"I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait," Altman stated in a follow-up post, politely twisting the knife.
The Ghost Car: Tesla's Delayed Dream
The new Tesla Roadster was unveiled with massive hype in 2017, with Musk promising it "will be the fastest production car ever made, period." It boasted a record-breaking 0-60 mph time of under two seconds, and production was initially scheduled for 2020. However, the project has been repeatedly pushed back.
During an earnings call in October 2024, Musk acknowledged the delays, thanking the "long-suffering Tesla Roadster deposit holders" but stating the company was focused on its core mission. This has left early reservation holders like Altman in limbo for years.
More Than Just a Car: The Musk-Altman Feud
Altman's public call-out is far from an isolated incident. It represents the latest chapter in a souring relationship between the two tech titans who co-founded OpenAI in 2015. Musk left the company's board in 2018 and has since become one of its loudest critics, even filing lawsuits against Altman and OpenAI for allegedly betraying its original nonprofit mission through its partnership with Microsoft.
A Shift in Admiration
The personal nature of the feud has also become public. "For a long time, I looked up to him as an incredible hero, a great jewel for humanity. I have different feelings now," Altman said of Musk in a recent interview. While Musk and Tesla have yet to respond to Altman's post, the silence speaks volumes as OpenAI completes a corporate restructuring and reportedly eyes a staggering $1 trillion valuation—a clear challenge to Musk's tech dominance.
