Newly surfaced private emails have revealed a poignant moment in the complex relationship between tech titans Sam Altman and Elon Musk, showing a time of mutual respect before their partnership deteriorated into one of Silicon Valley's most public and bitter legal battles.
"You're My Hero": The Private Plea Before the Public Feud
The exchange, dated February 18, 2023, was revealed as part of court documents from the upcoming lawsuit Musk v. Altman (2026). In the conversation, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, directly addressed Elon Musk's public criticisms of the company. "Well, you're my hero and that's what it feels like when you attack OpenAI," Altman told Musk.
Despite admitting that OpenAI had "screwed some stuff up," Altman passionately defended the company's core mission. He argued that OpenAI's work was crucial to preventing a single entity, specifically mentioning Google, from gaining monopolistic control over Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Altman expressed deep gratitude for Musk's foundational role, stating, "I am tremendously thankful for everything you've done to help—I don't think OpenAI would have happened without you." He then revealed the personal sting of the attacks: "and it really fucking hurts when you publicly attack OpenAI."
Musk's Apology and the "Fate of Civilization" Defense
Elon Musk responded by acknowledging Altman's feelings. "I hear you and it is certainly not my intention to be hurtful, for which I apologize," Musk wrote. However, he immediately justified his actions by invoking a grander narrative, adding, "but the fate of civilization is at stake."
This justification did not satisfy Altman. He pushed back, questioning how public attacks on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) served the greater good of civilization. Altman asked Musk for concrete, specific suggestions on what OpenAI should do differently to align with their shared original goal of benefitting humanity.
The emails also shed light on the intense talent wars between their companies. Altman explicitly checked with his team about recruiting from Tesla, assuring Musk that OpenAI does "very little relative to the size of the company." He promised not to intentionally harm Tesla, which he called "obviously a super important company."
From Cofounders to Courtroom Adversaries
This 2023 conversation occurred years after their initial split but before their relationship completely fractured. The two had launched OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit with the mission to develop AI "in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole." Musk departed the board in 2018 after his proposal to run the company himself was rejected by the other cofounders.
Today, they are locked in a fierce legal and commercial rivalry. Musk has filed multiple lawsuits alleging that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit, open-source mission when it created a for-profit arm and accepted a massive investment from Microsoft. A federal racketeering trial in this case is scheduled for March 30, 2026.
The competition now extends to company valuations. Reports indicate SpaceX is planning an $800 billion secondary share sale, partly to reclaim the title of the world's most valuable private company from OpenAI, which recently achieved a $500 billion valuation. The personal barbs have also escalated publicly, with Musk dubbing Altman "Swindly Sam" on social media, while Altman has questioned Musk's happiness and urged him to "just compete by building better products."
