Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, owner of X, have set aside their years-long feud to oppose Sam Altman’s OpenAI becoming a for-profit company.
Digital Worldwide News
December 15, 2024
Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk unite to oppose OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model.
Once fierce rivals, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have found surprising common ground: opposing OpenAI’s controversial shift to a for-profit model. The unlikely alliance of the Meta CEO and the X owner has sparked intrigue across the tech world, not just for its shared objective but for its dramatic evolution from their once-public feud.
For years, Musk and Zuckerberg were tech-world adversaries. The two sparred over everything from AI ethics to social media dominance, punctuated by personal jabs. The most memorable chapter of their rivalry came in 2023, when both proposed an actual cage fight. The idea, more spectacle than serious, had fans buzzing, with Musk quipping about bringing it to Las Vegas and Zuckerberg reportedly practicing jiu-jitsu. Yet the brawl fizzled out as neither party followed through with scheduling, leaving the internet’s imagination to run wild.
Fast forward to 2024, and these billionaires are stepping into a different kind of ring—a battle against OpenAI, helmed by CEO Sam Altman. OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit model has drawn sharp criticism from Musk and Zuckerberg alike. Both accuse the organization of exploiting its nonprofit origins to secure billions in funding before pivoting to profits. In a letter to the California attorney general, Meta condemned OpenAI for leveraging nonprofit advantages to dominate the AI industry. “It’s unethical to reap nonprofit benefits and then pivot to profit-making,” the letter read.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left in 2018, has taken legal action, accusing OpenAI and its investor Microsoft of creating a “for-profit monopoly” that stifles competition. Musk has also criticized the organization’s mission drift, calling it a betrayal of its founding principles to ensure AI’s safety and accessibility for humanity. His frustration is compounded by OpenAI’s exponential growth: the organization’s recent $6.6 billion funding round pushed its valuation to an eye-watering $157 billion.
Adding intrigue to this drama is Musk’s political alignment. Following Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Musk has reportedly been a fixture at Mar-a-Lago, working closely with Trump’s transition team. According to NBC News, Musk’s presence in Florida extends beyond political curiosity; he’s playing a significant role in shaping Trump’s AI policies. Musk’s ties to the former president are no secret. His outspoken support for Trump during the campaign raised eyebrows, solidifying Musk’s reputation as a tech mogul unafraid of wading into political waters.
Interestingly, Zuckerberg has also made recent appearances in Florida. Meta’s CEO visited the Sunshine State in November to meet with Trump and his transition team. The meetings spark speculation: Could this be where Musk and Zuckerberg found common ground? Both share vested interests in AI’s future and regulatory frameworks, and Trump's victory in the election may have provided a rare détente between the two rivals.
While neither party has confirmed the details of their Florida interactions, industry insiders are buzzing about the possibility of backroom negotiations. Did a shared disdain for OpenAI forge a temporary alliance? Or are there larger stakes at play, such as positioning themselves as ethical leaders in the increasingly fraught AI arms race?
Founded as a nonprofit in 2015, OpenAI’s mission was to develop artificial intelligence that benefits humanity. However, in 2019, the organization introduced a “capped-profit” model to attract investment, promising limited returns to investors while maintaining its altruistic goals. Critics argue this model has morphed into a Trojan horse for profit-making. Major backers like Microsoft have poured billions into OpenAI, expecting significant returns—a shift that detractors like Musk and Zuckerberg claim undermines its founding mission.
Musk’s criticism has been particularly pointed. “The probability of success was zero when I started OpenAI,” he said during a recent TechCrunch conference, referencing his initial financial contributions to the project. Emails published by OpenAI, however, suggest Musk himself supported profit-driven strategies in its early days, complicating his current opposition. Zuckerberg, for his part, has focused on OpenAI’s alleged abuse of nonprofit advantages to secure dominance, a concern echoed by other tech leaders.
k-Zuckerberg alliance underscores the high stakes of the AI industry. Meta has committed a staggering $37 billion to AI infrastructure in 2024, while Musk’s xAI recently secured $6 billion in funding. Despite their different approaches, both billionaires see OpenAI’s dominance as a threat to their ambitions.
The idea of Musk and Zuckerberg as allies once seemed laughable, especially after the cage fight fiasco of 2023. At the time, their public exchanges were dripping with animosity, with Musk mocking Zuckerberg’s platform policies and Zuckerberg taking subtle digs at Musk’s management style. Yet their united front against OpenAI reveals that even tech titans can set aside personal differences when the stakes are high enough.
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