Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel has joined Elon Musk in his ambitious $97.4 billion proposal to acquire control of OpenAI’s for-profit sector, subsequently launching a critique against CEO Sam Altman’s management of the organization that developed ChatGPT.

During a conversation with Stephen Dubner at the Freakonomics Radio Live event held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, Emanuel expressed concern over the recent departure of top executives overseeing AI governance. “There has been a significant exodus of key personnel because Sam has been more focused on ‘shiny objects’ rather than prioritizing safety,” he stated, reflecting worries that OpenAI is not responsibly handling its technological advancements.

Emanuel’s unexpected offer to OpenAI’s board intensified the ongoing conflict regarding the company’s transition to a for-profit model. Altman promptly rejected Musk’s bid via a post on X, suggesting instead that Musk could buy “Twitter for $9.74 billion if that’s what you want.” Musk, on his part, responded with the accusation of “Swindler.” Emanuel’s involvement in this bid may indicate a push to facilitate the integration of AI tools within Hollywood. OpenAI has been actively engaging with the industry, recently unveiling Sora, an application capable of generating hyper-realistic videos from minimal prompts, ideal for post-production processes.

On Tuesday at the Paris AI Action Summit, Altman described Musk’s surprise bid for OpenAI as an attempt to weaken his rivals. “I don’t believe he is genuinely satisfied,” he remarked, adding sympathy by saying, “I do feel for him.”

Responding to Altman’s take, an assertive Emanuel remarked, “Sam mentioned that Elon was ‘unhappy as a person.’ Thank you for that observation! Elon’s dissatisfaction stems from the fact that you are insincere and attempting to exploit the charity as well as its foundational mission. He is not at fault.”

Emanuel clarified that the group of investors led by Musk is not seeking to acquire the charity, OpenAI, but rather its controlling interest in the for-profit entity shared with Altman and Microsoft. He emphasized the need to address “miscommunications and misunderstandings” that have arisen following the bid submission.

Musk’s proposal may complicate OpenAI’s plans to spin off its overseeing nonprofit organization, potentially necessitating an increase in its offer.

“Sam and his board are presenting an offer of $30 billion, while $97.4 billion certainly exceeds that. They possess considerable equity in the for-profit AI division and hold positions on the board of the nonprofit, which raises concerns about their dual roles,” Emanuel stated.

He further asserted, “It is difficult to understand how negotiations led by Sam at both ends would advance the charity’s objectives.”

In 2023, OpenAI reported revenue of $1.6 billion, with the nonprofit receiving only $5 million, according to Emanuel.

In January, Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, reached out to the attorneys general in California and Delaware, urging them to allow an “open, competitive bidding” process for the sale of the nonprofit governing OpenAI. Concerns persist about the AI firm undervaluing the nonprofit during its potential spin-off.

Musk’s connection to OpenAI dates back to its founding in 2015, alongside Altman and several other notable Silicon Valley investors. Musk departed from the board in 2018 due to conflicts of interest arising from Tesla’s growing focus on AI technology.

Last year, Musk reignited a legal dispute with OpenAI concerning its shift towards a for-profit model. He filed a lawsuit alleging fraud and breach of contract, claiming he was misled when he invested approximately $45 million in the firm, which he believed had strayed from its original mission to safely develop technology “for the benefit of humanity.” Musk contends that Altman unlawfully collaborated with Microsoft, establishing a network of questionable affiliates and misappropriating assets and staff from the nonprofit in violation of their agreement.