‘That’s in your nature’:  Elon Musk fires back after Sam Altman’s X Post on Tesla Roadster wait 

Elon Musk has refuted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s claim that he never received a refund for his cancelled Tesla Roadster reservation, reigniting a very public dispute between the two technology leaders. 

Altman had earlier posted on X, formerly Twitter, sharing screenshots from his 2018 booking and describing that while he was “excited for the car,” the “7.5 years felt like a long time to wait.” He also said his email to Tesla requesting a $50,000 refund went unanswered.

Responding online, Musk accused Altman of omitting important facts and insisted the refund had indeed been processed. “And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours. But that is in your nature,” Musk replied.

The Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled in 2017 with a planned production date of 2020, has been repeatedly delayed. Musk recently claimed Tesla is “getting close” to demonstrating a prototype, calling the future unveiling “unforgettable — whether it’s good or bad.”

During the same online exchange, Musk accused Altman of “stealing a non-profit,” in reference to OpenAI’s transformation from a non-profit into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). While OpenAI has asserted that its non-profit oversees significant aspects of the new structure, Musk and some critics have argued this change undermined the company’s founding mission.

Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI in 2015, has filed several lawsuits against the organization, alleging it has shifted away from developing AI “for the benefit of humanity” and towards what he termed a “closed-source, maximum-profit company” aligned with Microsoft’s interests. Most recently, Musk’s AI startup xAI accused OpenAI of trying to steal trade secrets by hiring away key employees.

OpenAI has categorically denied these allegations, maintaining that transitioning to a for-profit structure was essential to secure the large-scale funding now required for advanced AI research. 

The company has also countersued Musk, accusing him of “bad-faith tactics” and “unlawful harassment” aimed at damaging its reputation.