Leaked messages show Elon Musk tried to poach OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to lead a competing AI lab at Tesla back in 2017. Internal communications between Tesla executives reveal detailed plans to start their own artificial intelligence division to rival OpenAI.
This was Musk’s backup plan after losing control of the company he helped create. OpenAI started as Musk’s nonprofit project, but he left the board in 2018 when the organization shifted toward becoming a for-profit business.
The Tesla AI Plan That Never Happened
The messages, obtained through legal discovery, show Tesla executive Shivon Zilis discussing recruitment strategies with other company leaders. They weren’t just targeting Altman – they also considered poaching Demis Hassabis, who leads Google’s AI division DeepMind.
Tesla planned to offer massive compensation packages and promise these AI leaders full control over their research. The goal was simple: beat OpenAI at their own game using talent from the biggest names in artificial intelligence.
But the plan fell apart. Altman stayed loyal to OpenAI, which has since become the hottest company in tech thanks to ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Musk started his own AI company called xAI in 2023.
What This Means Now
These revelations come as Musk is suing OpenAI, claiming the company abandoned its original mission to develop AI safely for everyone. The leaked messages suggest his beef with OpenAI runs much deeper – and started much earlier – than anyone realized.
Tesla still doesn’t have a major AI lab, while OpenAI is now worth over $150 billion.
