Altman Responds to Musk's Jokes that OpenAI's IPO is Just a Money-Grabbing Move: I Just Want to "Leave a Mark on the Universe"

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to questions about OpenAI's IPO in a lengthy post on social media platform X, including a sarcastic meme from his longtime rival, Elon Musk.

The previous day, reports surfaced that OpenAI was considering filing for an IPO as early as the second half of next year, potentially listing by the end of next year or in 2027, aiming to raise at least $60 billion with a target valuation of $1 trillion. This would be one of the largest IPOs in history.

Yuchen Jin, co-founder of Hyperbolic Labs, shared a screenshot on X showing Musk and others mocking OpenAI's IPO, commenting, "Sam Altman still owns zero shares in OpenAI. Even if OpenAI goes public, he basically won't make any money. Maybe we shouldn't laugh at the 'I do this because I like it' meme anymore."

Another user commented, "I really don't know what Sam wants. For Elon, it's clear. He wants to go to Mars, and to achieve that, he'll destroy many villages without regret. But what does Sam want? My guess is 'to become a legend.'"

Altman The response read: “If I were a sports star or an artist, and I just wanted to do my job well, like getting up at 5 a.m. to practice free throws, that would seem normal, right?

The first part of OpenAI is incredibly interesting; I think what we're doing is the most important scientific work of this generation, or even longer.

The current part isn't as exciting, but it's still rewarding. As you said, it's very painful, and it's easy to give up any day, but the opportunity to truly ‘leave a mark on the universe’ is worth it; most people don't have that opportunity, and I'm grateful for it. I genuinely believe that the work we're doing will be a transformative and positive thing, and if we didn't exist, the world would be heading towards a…” A slightly different direction, or even worse.

(Before I had children, working hard was always a very easy thing; now it's a very difficult thing.)

I really wish I had taken equity a long time ago; I think it would have led to fewer conspiracy theories. People seem to understand "Well, that guy did it because he wanted more money," but not so much "He just thinks technology is cool, and he likes the ability to influence the development of technology and society." Trying to show "I already have enough money" is a silly thing to do.

I believe AGI will be the most important technology humanity has ever created, and I am incredibly grateful to be able to play a significant role in it and work with such wonderful colleagues. I enjoy a fun life.