A Tale in Three Acts: Sam Altman’s Tesla Roadster Frustration
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly demanded a refund from Tesla after waiting more than seven years for the delivery of the much-hyped second-generation Tesla Roadster.
On Thursday, Altman took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his experience in a post titled “A tale in three acts.” The OpenAI chief posted a screenshot of an email dated July 2018, showing a $45,000 deposit for the upcoming Roadster.
He also included a more recent screenshot — an email he sent to Tesla requesting to cancel the order and refund his $50,000 deposit. But to his surprise, the email bounced back, suggesting Tesla’s contact for such requests may no longer be active.
“I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait,” Altman wrote in his follow-up post.
Despite his polite tone, the move is widely seen as a subtle jab at Tesla CEO Elon Musk, given the rocky relationship between the two tech titans in recent years.
The Long Road to the New Tesla Roadster
When Elon Musk first unveiled the next-generation Tesla Roadster in 2017, it was heralded as a revolutionary leap forward for electric vehicles. Musk boldly claimed it would be “the fastest production car ever made, period.”
The car promised blistering acceleration — reaching 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds and 100 mph in just 4.2 seconds — setting a new standard for speed and performance in the EV world.
Originally, Tesla planned to begin production in 2020, but repeated delays and shifting priorities have kept the project on hold.
During an earnings call in October 2024, Musk assured investors that Tesla was still committed to the Roadster but emphasized that the company’s focus remains on its core mission of sustainability.
“We are working on it, but it has to come behind things that have a more serious impact on the world,” Musk said.
“So, just thank you to all our long-suffering Tesla Roadster deposit holders.”
As of now, no official delivery timeline has been provided.
Musk and Altman: From Allies to Adversaries
The refund drama comes at a time when Elon Musk and Sam Altman are locked in a legal and public feud over the direction of OpenAI, the company they co-founded in 2015.
Musk was among the earliest financial backers of OpenAI, helping to fund its mission to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) safely for the benefit of humanity. However, he left the company’s board in 2018, citing potential conflicts of interest with Tesla’s own AI initiatives.
Since then, the relationship between the two has soured. Musk has repeatedly criticized OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft, claiming it strayed from its original nonprofit mission.
In February 2024, Musk sued OpenAI and Altman, alleging that the company violated its founding principles by prioritizing profits. Although Musk withdrew the lawsuit in June, he re-filed it in August with new claims.
By November 2024, Musk’s legal team had filed an injunction to block OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit structure. OpenAI dismissed the move as “utterly without merit.”
Altman’s Changing Perspective on Musk
In a September 2024 interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Altman reflected on his evolving view of Musk.
“For a long time, I looked up to him as an incredible hero, a great jewel for humanity. I have different feelings now,” Altman said.
“There are things about him that are incredible, and I’m grateful for a lot of things he’s done. But there are traits I don’t admire.”
This candid comment highlighted how far their relationship has drifted — from mutual admiration to cautious distance.
OpenAI’s New Era and a $1 Trillion Vision
While Musk continues to battle Tesla’s production woes and legal disputes, Altman is steering OpenAI toward a bold new chapter.
On Tuesday, OpenAI announced a corporate restructuring, placing its nonprofit arm, the OpenAI Foundation, in charge of a newly formed public benefit corporation, OpenAI Group PBC.
The restructuring paves the way for a potential public offering, with the company reportedly eyeing a $1 trillion valuation — positioning it among the most valuable tech firms in the world.
Final Thoughts
Sam Altman’s public refund request may seem like a minor frustration over a long-delayed car, but it also underscores the philosophical divide between two of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures.
While Musk continues to champion tangible innovations like electric cars and space travel, Altman is betting on the future of artificial intelligence.
One thing is certain — both men are still racing toward the future, just on very different roads.
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