Elon Musk has been extremely busy since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. His position as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has kept him in the spotlight as questions arise about the reach of his newfound power.
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DOGE has been tasked with identifying and eliminating what it determines to be government waste, but the scope of its power has come into question.
Recently, its operatives attempted to gain access to highly sensitive federal government employee information. It has also attempted to shut down entire bureaus and deployed a buyout program to entice employees to resign from their positions, which some experts have claimed is illegal.
Lawsuits have already blocked the White House task force from accessing the Treasury Department's payment systems and employee data at certain government agencies.
Despite being preoccupied in Washington D.C., Musk recently proved that he hasn’t forgotten about his private sector interests, making a major announcement that many people likely weren’t expecting.
Musk’s resume includes many current titles, including CEO of Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX and owner of X. But he recently revealed that his sights are set on owning something else.
It’s open season on AI rivals for Elon Musk
This week began with an announcement from Musk that quickly sent the tech sector into a frenzy: a group that he is leading had submitted a $97.4 billion bid to purchase ChatGPT maker, OpenAI, specifically its for-profit assets.
Those who follow the fast-growing artificial intelligence (AI) market know that Musk and Altman have been engaged in a feud for years. In fact, their rivalry dates back years to Musk’s abrupt exit from Altman's startup in 2018, for which he cited conflicts of interest with Tesla.
Related: Elon Musk, Sam Altman brawl over major AI deal
“Musk proposed running OpenAI himself in 2018. Altman and other board members rejected this proposal, causing Musk to leave the organization entirely,” TheStreet reports.
Experts have speculated that since then, Musk has wanted control of OpenAI, particularly as the research lab has come to dominate the AI market with its widespread success with AI models such as ChatGPT.
He hasn’t shied away from criticizing it, calling the decision to transition OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit structure illegal.
The recent offer that Musk’s group submitted may seem high to some, but it clearly has not been enough to tempt Altman. He quickly rejected Musk’s offer and took the opportunity to call out his rival’s lack of success after purchasing X, posting to social media: