A fresh public exchange between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reignited their long-running feud, with both technology leaders trading sharp remarks on social media following Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI. The latest dispute comes after Apple accused OpenAI of misappropriating trade secrets related to hardware development, allegations that have intensified scrutiny of the artificial intelligence company. The legal claims have not been adjudicated, and OpenAI has publicly disputed Apple's allegations.

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 before leaving the organisation, criticised Altman in a series of posts on X. Referring to the OpenAI chief as "Scam Altman," Musk accused him of repeatedly deceiving people and amplified posts from other users making similar allegations. He also shared an image of Altman with a caption suggesting he enjoyed "scamming," adding his own comment that Altman allegedly took "scamming to a whole new level."

Altman responded directly to Musk's criticism, taking aim at Musk's reported ambitions to develop space-based data centres through SpaceX. In a post on X, Altman remarked that Musk was the one promoting short-term space data centre plans to public market investors. The exchange quickly escalated, with both executives continuing to post remarks targeting each other's businesses and leadership.

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Replying to Altman's comments, Musk defended his company's plans and claimed the first space-based data centres would begin flying next year. He also repeated accusations that Altman had taken over what he described as an open-source AI charity and alleged that OpenAI had appropriated Apple's phone technology. Musk further mocked Altman by suggesting he could visit the project "if your parole officer approves," continuing the increasingly personal tone of the online dispute.

In a separate post, Altman appeared to dismiss Musk's criticism while highlighting OpenAI's latest artificial intelligence model. He said benchmark results suggested the company's newest model was among the world's best and joked that the clearest indication of its success was that "Elon is obsessed with me again." The comment was widely shared on social media and added another chapter to the highly public rivalry between the two technology executives.

The latest exchange reflects years of tension between Musk and Altman over the direction of OpenAI. Musk has repeatedly argued that the company has moved away from its original nonprofit mission and has criticised its commercial strategy. Altman has consistently rejected those claims, maintaining that OpenAI's approach is necessary to develop advanced artificial intelligence responsibly. Their disagreements have frequently played out through legal challenges, public interviews and social media, making the rivalry one of the technology industry's most closely watched disputes.

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