Sam Altman Throws Shade at Elon Musk Over Trump Rift at Sun Valley Billionaires’ Summit

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mocks Elon Musk’s political fallout with Trump, reflects on AI regulation, and his “politically homeless” stance amid growing Silicon Valley power plays.

At the annual Sun Valley gathering of corporate elites — often dubbed the “summer camp for billionaires” — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman arrived in high spirits and stylish French Vuarnet sunglasses, but it wasn’t just the Idaho sun fueling his mood.

The 40-year-old AI magnate, co-founder of OpenAI and one of the most influential figures in tech, couldn’t help but comment on the ongoing public rift between fellow tech titan Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Elon busts up with everybody, that’s what he does,” Altman quipped to The New York Post, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding between Musk and Trump, once perceived as political allies. Musk had recently announced plans to form his own political party — the “America Party” — sparking criticism from Trump, who dismissed the move as “ridiculous” and called the Tesla boss “completely off the rails.”

Altman, whose net worth is estimated at $1.8 billion by Forbes, knows Musk well. The two co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk exited in 2018 after a reported dispute over the company’s direction and its move toward commercialization — a breakup that has since played out in courts and across social media.

Asked if he would consider supporting Musk’s new political ambitions, Altman offered another soft jab: “I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to read about it.”

The feud marks a stark reversal from earlier days when Musk, wearing MAGA-style hats and meeting with Trump administration officials, appeared to be in the driver’s seat for government favor — and potential contracts. But the fallout came after disagreements over Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a multi-trillion-dollar federal spending plan Musk openly criticized.

Meanwhile, Altman seems to have stepped into that power vacuum. In December, he donated $1 million to Trump’s 2025 inauguration fund and appeared at the White House shortly thereafter to champion his role in the massive $500 billion Stargate AI project, designed to bolster U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence.

Despite his White House appearances, Altman still describes himself as “politically homeless” and focused on what he calls the bigger picture: ensuring the responsible development of AI.

“I think something at the federal level focused on the sort of extremely intricate capabilities [of AI]… that can sort of keep a check on the biggest safety risks,” he said, expressing support for national regulatory frameworks rather than fragmented state-by-state rules.

This stance reflects a growing consensus among Silicon Valley leaders that cohesive AI oversight is necessary to stay competitive with nations like China — and to avoid the pitfalls of regulatory chaos.

As the world’s richest individuals and media moguls settle in for the week-long Allen & Co. summit at the Sun Valley Lodge, all eyes are not just on tech valuations and mergers — but on the personal dynamics shaping the future of business and politics.

For Altman, whose OpenAI project has shifted the global conversation around artificial intelligence, this year’s summit is about more than optics and deals. It’s about defining power in a new era — one that, unlike Musk’s path, he seems to be navigating with fewer public “bust-ups” and more strategic poise.