The long-standing rivalry between Sam Altman and Elon Musk has reached a new, highly public peak. What began as a partnership to build safe artificial intelligence has spiraled into a multi-billion-dollar legal war. As the leaders of OpenAI and xAI prepare to face off in court, the tension is no longer confined to boardrooms. It is now playing out real-time on social media. This battle is shaping up to be one of the most significant moments in tech history.
Sam Altman tweets about Elon Musk
On February 3, 2026, Sam Altman took to X (formerly Twitter) to send a direct message to his rival, Elon Musk. He posted that he is “really excited to get Elon under oath in a few months.” In fact, he even went as far as calling the upcoming legal confrontation “Christmas in April.” This bold comment follows a major court ruling. A judge recently decided that Musk’s fraud lawsuit against OpenAI can proceed to a jury trial.
The trial is officially scheduled to begin on April 27, 2026. Musk is suing OpenAI for allegedly abandoning its original nonprofit mission. He claims he was misled into donating millions of dollars before the company turned into a for-profit powerhouse. On the other hand, Altman’s team is firing back with their own accusations. OpenAI recently filed court documents claiming that Musk’s company, xAI, has been destroying evidence. They allege that employees used disappearing messaging apps to hide important communications.
Altman also mocked Musk by reposting the word “concerning”, a phrase Musk often uses, in response to these evidence-tampering claims. With Musk seeking damages between $79 billion and $134 billion, the stakes could not be higher. Altman’s “Christmas” comment suggests he believes the discovery process will reveal secrets that favor OpenAI. As April approaches, the tech world is waiting to see if this trial will be a gift for Altman or a win for Musk.
