Trump Dismisses Elon Musk’s Criticism of AI Announcement: ‘He Has a Personal Grudge’
Former President Donald Trump brushed off the escalating feud between tech moguls Elon Musk and Sam Altman on Thursday, calling it nothing more than personal animosity rather than a reflection on the massive $500 billion AI project he had just announced.
The tension boiled over after Musk cast doubt on the ambitious initiative unveiled in the Oval Office on Tuesday. The project, called Stargate, is set to develop AI infrastructure in the U.S. with backing from OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank. Trump, flanked by the leaders of these companies during the announcement, hailed the investment as a game-changer, with an initial $100 billion commitment and plans to reach $500 billion over time.
However, shortly after the announcement, Musk took to his X social media platform to throw shade on the deal, claiming, “They don’t actually have the money. SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.”
When pressed on Musk’s skepticism, Trump remained unfazed. “No, he hates one of the people,” he said, seemingly alluding to Altman. “I’ve spoken to Elon—spoken to all of them, actually. The people in the deal are very, very smart. But Elon, one of the people he happens to hate. But I have certain hatreds of people too.”
Trump also downplayed concerns over whether the companies could actually raise the staggering sums needed for Stargate. “I don’t know if they do,” he admitted. “But you know, they’re putting up the money—the government’s not putting up anything. They’re very rich people, so I hope they do.”
The Musk-Altman rivalry is nothing new, but Musk’s public attacks come at a time when he is deeply involved with Trump’s administration. He was in the Oval Office when Trump signed a pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the controversial founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace. Musk had also sent a top SpaceX and X staffer to aid in securing the release of January 6 rioters after Trump granted a blanket pardon.
Given Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI and his distrust of Altman, his opposition to the Stargate project isn’t surprising. Musk has accused OpenAI of abandoning its nonprofit mission, claiming that the company is keeping its most advanced AI technology for private customers.
While the companies involved in Stargate have yet to publicly clarify how they will fund the initiative, financing options could include raising debt or bringing in additional investors. Despite Musk’s criticism, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed his concerns, telling Fox News, “The American people should take President Trump and those CEOs’ words for it.”
As the AI investment battle unfolds, one thing is clear: the bad blood between Musk and Altman isn’t cooling down anytime soon.