Musk Reveals 2022 Chat Screenshot with Sam Altman, Accuses OpenAI of 'Bait-and-Switch'
Musk shared a private chat screenshot from 2022 with Sam Altman as key evidence of OpenAI betraying its original mission.
Upon seeing news of OpenAI's valuation reaching $20 billion, Musk angrily stated, "This is a typical bait-and-switch."
Musk initially invested in OpenAI's seed round, Series A, and most of the Series B funding to support its non-profit, open-source mission for the benefit of humanity. Now, its complete commercialization and high valuation completely contradict that original intent.
Source: Public Information
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Musk has previously criticized OpenAI's shift from non-profit to profit, and the release of the 2022 chat records continues his questioning of OpenAI's commercialization path, similar to his ongoing pressure after leaving OpenAI's board.
In terms of capital, Musk's early large investments in OpenAI have since shifted to projects like xAI, diverting funds from OpenAI to self-controlled projects, motivated by a desire to maintain control over cutting-edge AI development and consistency with his vision.
Similar to the struggle for control and mission among founders in the tech industry, this incident highlights the conflict of OpenAI's transformation from a mission-driven to a valuation-driven entity.
Essentially, it is a restructuring of capital and control: early investors entered with a non-profit commitment, but the company's commercialization led to conflicts over control and profit distribution, with pricing power shifting from the founding mission to capital market valuations. The mechanism is that the commercialization potential of AI technology far exceeds initial expectations, leading to fundamental disagreements in direction between early investors and management.
ABAB News · Law of Cognition
The mission is bait, the valuation is the endgame.
The more compelling the early commitment, the more painful the later change.
The struggle for control is never about money, but about the future.