OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed confidence on Wednesday that Tesla CEO Elon Musk will not use his closeness to US President-elect Donald Trump to harm his business rivals, calling such actions “very un-American.” “.
talk in New York Times At the DealBook conference, Altman addressed concerns about Musk’s stated role as head of a new government efficiency department in the incoming Trump administration, and whether he might use it to benefit his own companies.
“I may turn out to be wrong, but I firmly believe that Elon will do the right thing,” Altman said. “It would be very un-American to use political power to hurt your competitors and benefit your own business.”
Even if there is “a lot of things you don’t like about him…it’s so inconsistent with the values I think he holds so dear that I’m not worried about it.”
Musk, an OpenAI co-founder who later left the company, is currently suing OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming they have diverted from the project’s original non-profit mission.
He has since launched xAI, which is reportedly valued at $50 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal, making it one of the most valuable startups in the world.
Altman said the court battle was “very sad” and that he once saw the tech billionaire as a “huge hero.”
Musk became a close ally of Trump during his campaign, spending more than $100 million to boost his presidential campaign and join him at campaign rallies.
Musk has been a frequent presence in Trump’s transition, and was reportedly on the line when Google CEO Sundar Pichai called the president-elect to congratulate him on his election victory.
The businessman’s companies have deep ties to US and foreign governments, and his new position has raised concerns about conflicts of interest.