How Long Will Trump-Musk Bonhomie Last?

US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of the Stargate initiative, in partnership with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, has triggered a war of words on X (formerly Twitter) between xAI chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk and OpenAI head Sam Altman.

Despite Musk’s close ties to Trump, he was notably excluded from the venture, with Altman taking the lead role instead. The decision seemingly did not sit well with Musk, who expressed his frustration publicly on X.

He claimed that the initiative lacked sufficient funding, responding to OpenAI’s announcement of the Stargate Project by writing, “SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.”

Altman dismissed Musk’s claims and invited him to visit the first Stargate site, which Altman says is already underway.

Following this exchange, Musk reshared several posts on X that highlighted Altman’s past criticisms of Trump, pointing out the apparent shift in Altman’s stance now that he is partnering with the former president.

Musk’s public outburst has fueled speculation about a potential rift between the SpaceX CEO and President Trump. Meanwhile, Altman has acknowledged his previous critiques of Trump, stating that his opinions about the president have since evolved.

The Background

On the second day of his presidency, Trump announced a $500bn investment over the next four years to build artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the US. This venture, known as ‘Stargate,’ will be backed by Japanese conglomerate Softbank, cloud giant Oracle, and generative AI pioneer OpenAI.

The Stargate Project is a new firm that plans to invest $500bn over four years in new AI infrastructure in the United States. The company has started deploying $100bn immediately.

Trump made the announcement at the White House, attended by OpenAI's chief executive Sam Altman, SoftBank's chief Masayoshi Son and Oracle founder Larry Ellison.

It doesn't take much reading between the lines to conclude that Musk feels left out of the transaction. He and Altman have been embroiled in a rivalry that began long back when they cofounded OpenAI together, with Musk eventually leaving the project on a bitter note.

Also Read: Trump Unveils $500Bn ‘Stargate’ with Sam Altman, SoftBank to Tackle China’s AI Advancements

Trump-Musk Friendship Rollercoaster

The relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has been marked by ups and downs. Initially, Musk was critical of Trump, questioning his character and leadership abilities during the 2016 presidential race. Musk once remarked, "He doesn’t seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States."

However, after Trump’s election victory, Musk joined his economic advisory council. But their partnership was short-lived; Musk resigned in 2017 following Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

In 2022, Trump praised Musk as one of the world’s “great geniuses” but later called him “another bulls*** artist,” prompting Musk to suggest Trump should “sail into the sunset.”

The dynamic shifted in 2023 when Musk voiced support for stricter immigration measures, a hallmark of Trump’s policies. After an assassination attempt on Trump in 2024, Musk’s stance changed dramatically and his support for Trump was getting evident. He also pledged $45 million monthly to support Trump’s re-election, signaling a surprising alliance.

The Trump-Musk camaraderie grew deeper during Trump’s election campaigning. “We have a new star, a star is born; Elon,” said Trump while addressing a crowd in Florida. “He’s an amazing guy. We were sitting together tonight. You know, he spent two weeks in Philadelphia, in different parts of Pennsylvania, campaigning,” he added.

Also Read: Trump 2.0: What It Means for India's Tech Future

Elon Musk Fallouts

There is a long list of people who have had fallouts with the world's wealthiest man.

The recent exchange between Musk and Altman is the continuation of a long-standing feud between the two tech heavyweights. Musk and Altman were the early investors and co-founders of OpenAI in 2015, with Musk first guiding the AI research organization's path. However, Musk parted relations with OpenAI in 2018, claiming disagreements about the organization's goals and safety regulations for the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Musk has since been an outspoken opponent of OpenAI's strategy, especially after the business transitioned from a nonprofit to a capped-profit model in 2019.

Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-origin entrepreneur and Republican leader, recently announced his exit from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) just 69 days after being appointed co-head alongside Musk. A recent report suggests that Musk pushed for Ramaswamy’s removal.

Sam Harris, who had known Musk since 2008, revealed that their friendship ended in 2020 due to opposing views on the developing COVID-19 pandemic and Musk's handling of the crisis.

The list of Musk's fallouts is extensive, including his estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, as well as Azealia Banks, Grimes, and others.

Given the nonchalant personalities of both Musk and Trump, and the growing tensions between these two debatably most powerful individuals in the world, there remains a possibility for the world to witness one of the greatest fallouts of all time.