OpenAI CEO's Luxury Sports Car and the Feud with Elon Musk
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's video of driving the world's most expensive sports car has sparked heated discussions and also attracted Elon Musk's sharp rebuttal, highlighting the years-long feud between the two again.
In the video clip that circulated online, Altman was driving a Koenigsegg Regera sports car, one of the rarest and most expensive supercars in the world, which led to ridicule and mockery from social media users.
The Koenigsegg Regera is a limited-edition sports car launched by the Swedish automaker Koenigsegg in 2015. Only 80 of these hybrid vehicles were produced, and most of them were snapped up at prices exceeding $1.9 million. And the price of used cars is even more expensive, with some models selling for more than $3 million.
The video has received more than 4 million views, and many netizens questioned how Altman, as the CEO of a non-profit company, could afford such an ultra-luxurious sports car.
On the social platform X, one user sarcastically responded to the video: Who would have thought that the salary of a non-profit job is so high.
Another user simply shared OpenAI's founding statement: Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit all of humanity, without being limited by the need to create financial returns.
As Altman's former friend and former business partner, Musk also didn't forget to add insult to injury. He replied to the X user's query, saying This is an excellent question.
If you don't know much about the relationship between the two, here is a brief description of the tense relationship between Musk and Altman.
In 2015, Musk, Altman, and 10 others jointly founded OpenAI. Musk emphasized that OpenAI is a non-profit organization, and the initial mission is to develop AI technology that benefits humanity.
In 2018, Musk resigned from the OpenAI board. In 2019, OpenAI established a for-profit subsidiary to enable it to raise external funds including Microsoft.
In February this year, Musk sued OpenAI and Altman, accusing them of abandoning the company's original mission. Musk also said that OpenAI has become a for-profit company supported by Microsoft, violating the original founding statement.
But in June, Musk suddenly withdrew the lawsuit. But Musk's latest reply indicates that the relationship between the two still seems not so good.
In addition, it was reported by the media early last month that as the CEO of OpenAI, Altman does not hold shares in OpenAI, and his annual salary at the company is about $65,000. But Altman has invested in more than 400 companies, and the value of his holdings is at least $2.8 billion.