Sam Altman says Elon Musk abused government power, praises Trump administration for doing the ‘right thing’
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has accused Elon Musk of abusing his power within the government to unfairly compete following the recent election even as he praised the Trump administration for pushing back against what he perceives as inappropriate actions by the Tesla CEO.Replying to a question on Musk’s alleged role in derailing the development of Project Stargate in a podcast, Altman expressed his disappointment, saying that he previously believed Musk would not engage in such actions.“I had said, I think also externally, but at least internally after the election that I didn’t think Elon was going to abuse his power in the government to unfairly compete,” Altman said, adding, “And I regret to say I was wrong about that.” Altman emphasised his broader concern, stating, “I mean, I don’t like being wrong in general, but mostly I just think it’s really unfortunate for the country that he would do these things, and I didn’t think I genuinely didn’t think he was going to.”
Altman says government did the ‘right thing’
The CEO concluded by expressing gratitude for the current administration’s response.“I’m grateful that the administration has really done the right thing and stuck up to that kind of behavior. But yeah, it sucks,” Altman said.Last month, the billionaire Tesla CEO left the Trump administration after leading an efficiency drive, during which he upended several federal agencies. Musk also thanked President Donald Trump as his time as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) drew to an end.After Trump’s inauguration, the billionaire quickly emerged as a powerful force in Trump’s circle. He was seen with the US President at important meetings and interviews, and at times took questions from the media in the Oval Office.
