---
title: "AI Titans' War: Musk and Altman Trade Accusations Again Amid Apple's Lawsuit Against OpenAI"
description: "Elon Musk and Sam Altman have engaged in another public spat against the backdrop of Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI for trade secret theft. Musk called Altman a fraudster, while Altman mocked SpaceX's space plans in response. Experts warn of the risk of OpenAI bankruptcy by 2027. 🤖⚖️🚀"
date: 2026-07-14T13:34:41.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ai-titans-war-musk-altman-apple-lawsuit-openai
tags: [elon-musk, sam-altman, openai, apple, spacex]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# AI Titans' War: Musk and Altman Trade Accusations Again Amid Apple's Lawsuit Against OpenAI

![Elon Musk and Sam Altman sit in chairs in front of a glass wall overlooking a factory floor, discussing AI amid the Tesla-OpenAI conflict.](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/14/mask-altman-sud-apple-isk-openai/mask-altman-sud-apple-isk-openai-1.webp)

A new wave of conflict has erupted in the world of tech giants. Former partners and friends Elon Musk and Sam Altman have once again taken to the public stage to exchange sharp accusations. This incident comes against the backdrop of a high-profile lawsuit initiated by Apple against OpenAI.

### Apple's Lawsuit: Theft of Secrets and Talent

The immediate trigger for the escalation of tensions was a statement from Apple. The tech giant sued the developers of ChatGPT, accusing them of stealing trade secrets. According to the plaintiff, OpenAI's leadership not only poached 400 former Apple employees but also facilitated the removal of confidential information by these individuals.

The case involves not only current technologies but also information about the company's future products and details of internal workflows. If OpenAI loses the lawsuit, the company may face the necessity of completely redesigning its first AI device, which is being developed in collaboration with legendary designer Jony Ive.

### Elon Musk's Reaction: "The Scammer is Back in Business"

Elon Musk, head of Tesla and SpaceX, reacted to the news of the lawsuit instantly and aggressively. On his microblog, he wrote: "Scammer Altman is back in business." As noted by The Independent, over the past year, Musk has repeatedly used similar rhetoric, referring to the head of OpenAI as "Scam Altman."

A few minutes after his first post, the entrepreneur added that Altman has "taken fraud to a whole new level." Musk reminded the public that Altman first "stole an open-source AI charity project" and now, in his opinion, has appropriated Apple's technology.

### Altman's Counterattack: Mocking SpaceX

Sam Altman did not stay silent. In response to the attacks, he mocked SpaceX's ambitious project to create orbital data centers. Altman stated that Musk is selling public investors the idea of short-term space data centers, hinting at the impracticality or speculative nature of the project.

Altman's counterattack provoked a stormy reaction from the audience: the post garnered nearly 15 million views and 60,000 likes. In a joking manner, he invited Musk to come watch the launch scheduled for next year, adding a condition: "if, of course, your parole officer gives permission."

### History of the Conflict and Risks for OpenAI

The feud between the two entrepreneurs has been ongoing for several years. Elon Musk was one of the founders of OpenAI but left the board of directors in 2018 due to a conflict of interest. Subsequently, he repeatedly accused the company's leadership of straying from its non-profit mission and demanded Altman's resignation.

Besides internal feuds and lawsuits, OpenAI faces serious economic risks. According to Bloomberg, losing the lawsuit against Apple could jeopardize the company's key products. Furthermore, the publication UNIAN reported that the creators of ChatGPT could go bankrupt by mid-2027. The main problem is that a significant portion of users prefer free versions of chatbots and are unlikely to be willing to pay for the service, making the company vulnerable to competitors.