Musk Fires Back at Altman Over Tesla Roadster Refund Drama

Elon Musk just called out Sam Altman on X for leaving out a crucial detail in his viral Tesla Roadster cancellation story.

The OpenAI CEO posted what he called "a tale in three acts" on October 30, showing screenshots of his 2018 Tesla Roadster reservation and a recent failed attempt to cancel it. But Musk claims there's a fourth act Altman conveniently forgot to mention.

The Post That Started It All

Altman shared screenshots showing he reserved a Roadster back in July 2018 with a $45,000 deposit. When he tried to cancel recently and request his $50,000 back, his email bounced. The Tesla address was dead.

"I really was excited for the car!" Altman wrote. "And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait."

The post blew up. Over 12 million views. Everyone started talking about Tesla's endless Roadster delays again.

Musk's Response Came Fast

Musk hit back on Saturday with two posts. First, he threw out his usual accusation: "You stole a nonprofit." Then came the real punch.

"And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours," Musk wrote. "But that is in your nature."

So according to Musk, Altman got his money back within a day but chose not to update his viral post. Classic social media drama between two tech billionaires who can't stand each other.

The Roadster Nobody Can Buy

Here's the thing about this whole situation. Tesla's second-generation Roadster was supposed to be the fastest production car ever made. Musk promised 0-60 mph in under two seconds back in 2017.

The car was supposed to arrive in 2020. Then 2021. Then 2022. Then 2023. Then 2024. Now maybe 2025 for an unveiling, with deliveries possibly in 2027.

During an earnings call last year, Musk apologized to "long-suffering deposit holders" and called the Roadster a "cherry on the icing" compared to Tesla's bigger priorities. Translation: don't hold your breath.

Popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee canceled his Roadster orders too. He'd been waiting since 2017. At some point, even superfans give up.

Why These Two Can't Stop Fighting

This isn't just about a car. Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI back in 2015. Musk left the board in 2018, and things have been ugly ever since.

Musk keeps suing OpenAI, claiming the company abandoned its nonprofit mission when it partnered with Microsoft. He even launched his own AI company, xAI, to compete directly with ChatGPT.

Earlier this year, Musk led a group that offered $97.4 billion to buy OpenAI. Altman's response? "No thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want." Musk called him a "swindler."

In September, Altman told Tucker Carlson he used to look up to Musk as "an incredible hero, a great jewel for humanity." Now? "I have different feelings."

The Timing Is Perfect

Altman's Roadster post dropped just days after OpenAI completed its corporate restructuring. The company placed its new for-profit arm under control of the nonprofit foundation, setting up a potential path to a $1 trillion IPO.

And Musk? He's been claiming Tesla will finally show an updated Roadster prototype before the end of this year. He said the same thing last year. Didn't happen.

During a recent Joe Rogan podcast appearance, Musk promised the new Roadster would have "crazy technology" and hinted at flying capabilities. "If you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it's crazier than that," he said.

Sure, Elon. We'll believe it when we see it.

What This Really Means

Look, this whole thing is ridiculous. Two of the most powerful people in tech are arguing on social media about a $50,000 car deposit and who's telling the truth about a refund.

But it shows how personal this feud has become. They're not just business rivals anymore. Every interaction is loaded with years of resentment, legal battles, and competing visions for AI's future.

Altman runs the company behind ChatGPT, valued at over $150 billion. Musk runs xAI and keeps trying to paint OpenAI as corrupt. Neither one is backing down.

The Roadster drama is just the latest round in a fight that's been going on for years. And based on how things are going, it won't be the last.