Highlights:
- Elon Musk wanted Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever to leave OpenAI and run Tesla’s AI projects in 2018.
- He also floated the idea of making OpenAI part of Tesla, while even considering Demis Hassabis for the job.
- The push came as Musk grew more worried about AI safety and where artificial general intelligence could lead.
- OpenAI’s own account says Musk wanted more control, including majority equity, board control and the CEO role.
- Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, and the company later moved toward a capped-profit structure.
Key Facts:
|
Point |
Detail |
|
Main story |
Elon Musk sought OpenAI founders to run Tesla AI projects. |
|
People involved |
Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever and Demis Hassabis were part of the discussion. |
|
Core issue |
Musk’s concern over AI safety, AGI control and leadership. |
|
Outcome |
The founders did not accept Musk’s control push, and the split widened. |
A long-running fight over OpenAI has now brought an old plan back into view: Elon Musk sought OpenAI founders to run Tesla AI projects, and he also wanted a tighter grip on how the company would move forward. The detail matters because it connects Tesla, OpenAI and Musk’s AGI ambitions in one clear thread.
Background:
OpenAI’s public account says that as the group discussed a for-profit structure in 2017 and 2018, Musk wanted the company to merge with Tesla or come under his control. OpenAI also says he wanted majority equity, initial board control and the CEO role, which the founders would not accept.
That disagreement did not stay small. OpenAI says Musk left in early 2018 after saying he would build a competitor inside Tesla. Reuters has reported that the current trial over OpenAI’s future centers on Musk’s claim that the company drifted from its nonprofit mission, while OpenAI argues the for-profit move was needed to raise the money and computing power required for AGI.
The newer court detail adds another layer to that history. NewsBytes reported that Musk wanted the original OpenAI team to shift over and lead Tesla’s AI projects, and he even considered making OpenAI part of Tesla or bringing in Demis Hassabis. In plain terms, the idea was not a casual remark. It was a serious attempt to shape where advanced AI work would live and who would guide it.
That is why the story still draws attention. It shows that the rivalry around OpenAI did not start with the lawsuit alone. It began years earlier, inside early talks about control, structure and the future of AGI.
