Elon Musk, one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the tech world, has had a tumultuous relationship with OpenAI, a creator of AI chatbot. Musk was one of the company co-founders and has publicly stated he has put $100 million into OpenAi in its initial stages.
But according to TechCrunch, a business-focused news website, the actual amount of money given by Musk to OpenAI is much smaller. According to OpenAI’s tax records, Musk cannot have donated more than $57 million, and the only publicly disclosed cash gift is $10m from his 501(c)3 non-profit – Musk Foundation, which was donated to a separate non-profit associated with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and the initial $10 million further donated it to OpenAI. Additionally, it was publicized that Musk also provided nearly $250k worth Tesla vehicles to OpenAI in 2017, and upgraded them for additional $14k in 2018.
When TechCrunch asked Musk for comments about their findings, Musk updated his previous statement about how much he has given. Musk said on CNBC that although he is not sure about the exact number, it is “some number on the order of $50 million”.
OpenAI is one of the biggest companies in the growing AI space, and is known for its non-profit, open-source ethos. The company changed its direction to a for-profit model and this statement was heavily criticised by Musk, who has since left the company.
On the other hand, Elon Musk also held his own in the tech world with his numerous companies, the most notable of which are Tesla and SpaceX. Musk is credited with the development of high-performance electric cars and is an active advocate of the progress of sustainable energy and of the future of humanity in space. His investments and innovations have made him one of the richest men in the world.
