OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is co-founding Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup positioned to compete directly with Elon Musk’s Neuralink. According to The Financial Times, the company plans to raise $250 million at an $850 million valuation, with a large portion of its funding expected from OpenAI’s ventures arm.
On February 10, 2025, a consortium led by Elon Musk made a $97.4 billion offer to take control of OpenAI’s nonprofit arm, escalating tensions between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The bid, which includes backing from Musk’s AI startup xAI, Baron Capital, and other investors, seeks to realign OpenAI with its original nonprofit mission. Altman swiftly rejected the offer, responding on X (formerly Twitter), "no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want."
