Sam Altman has made his stance clear regarding Elon Musk’s attempt to acquire OpenAI. In a message addressed to OpenAI employees on Monday, the CEO used quotation marks around the terms “bid” and “deal,” emphasizing that the company’s board has no interest in Musk’s proposal.

“Our structure is designed to prevent any single individual from taking control of OpenAI,” Altman stated, as reported by two individuals familiar with the communication. “Elon operates a competing AI firm, and his motivations do not align with OpenAI’s mission or values.”

Furthermore, Altman informed staff that OpenAI’s board, of which he is a member, has not yet received an official offer from Musk and his group of investors. If such an offer materializes, the board intends to reject it, according to the same sources. Employees at OpenAI expressed a mix of anxiety and frustration upon hearing this news.

On Monday, a consortium of investors led by Musk shocked the tech world by making an unsolicited offer to purchase all of OpenAI’s assets for approximately $97.4 billion. Musk’s own AI venture, xAI, and Valor Equity Partners—headed by one of Musk’s close advisors, Antonio Gracias—are backing this offer. Gracias previously assisted Musk with his 2022 Twitter acquisition and has been involved in his initiatives at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk was quoted in a statement, conveyed through his lawyer Marc Toberoff, saying, “It’s time for OpenAI to return to its roots as a safety-focused, open-source entity for good. We will ensure that happens.”

Musk has taken legal action against OpenAI multiple times, alleging that the organization breached its initial commitments as a nonprofit by transitioning into a for-profit structure. In addition to defending its position in court, OpenAI released a series of emails indicating that Musk was aware of the necessity for OpenAI to adopt a profit-making model to advance towards artificial general intelligence, and that he had previously attempted to merge OpenAI with Tesla.

The ongoing conflict between Musk and Altman draws attention to the role of OpenAI’s board chair Bret Taylor, who previously oversaw Twitter’s board during Musk’s acquisition process. This particular acquisition was relatively straightforward since Twitter was a publicly traded entity, placing a clear responsibility on the board to maximize shareholder value. Musk attempted to withdraw from the Twitter deal, but his advisors ultimately persuaded him to proceed with the original agreement. Taylor has not responded to requests for comment from WIRED.

OpenAI’s organizational structure is notably complex. Currently, the company operates as a nonprofit with a for-profit subsidiary and is in the process of transitioning this subsection into a public benefit corporation, which necessitates that OpenAI assign a value to its assets. As of its latest funding round, OpenAI is estimated to have a valuation of $157 billion. The company is currently in discussions with SoftBank regarding a potential $40 billion investment, which could elevate its valuation to $300 billion.