Tech rivalries were briefly set aside after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly complimented Elon Musk on the official release of the Tesla Roadster 2 - a car that can fly. The reaction marks a sharp contrast to late last year, when Altman publicly clashed with Musk over a delayed refund for a booking on the long-promised car. Musk retaliated online, defending the company's customer service timeline while taking jabs at Altman's leadership of OpenAI.
Sam Altman on new Tesla Roadster:
“Wow the new roadster looks quite amazing, good job @elonmusk [Elon Musk],” OpenAI head tweeted on October 16.
What happened last year?
On October 31, 2025, Sam Altman shared a post claiming that he cancelled his booking for the Tesla Roadster almost 7.5 years after booking it. He also requested a $50,000 refund, which he had paid when booking the vehicle.
Things escalated when the OpenAI CEO shared that the email ID from which he initially received the payment confirmation was no longer in service. He alleged that he never received the refund.
{{/usCountry}}Things escalated when the OpenAI CEO shared that the email ID from which he initially received the payment confirmation was no longer in service. He alleged that he never received the refund.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to it, Elon Musk disputed the claims and tweeted, “And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours. But that is in your nature.”
In a follow-up post, Musk added, “You stole a non-profit,” referencing OpenAI’s transformation from a non-profit to a capped-profit company under Altman’s leadership. However, after a recent restructuring, the company consists of the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation and the for-profit OpenAI Group.
About Tesla Roadster:
Tesla unveiled its new Roadster sports car on October 16, and it can thrust itself into the air. “Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Musk, Tesla’s CEO, wrote on his social media platform X.
The unveiling showed “a set of cold gas thrusters and a ‘multi-mode’ suction system that can fling the car in the air for short spurts and spin the vehicle mid-flight.”
Tesla explained the workings of the car on its official website. “Advanced cold-gas thrusters use all-electric actuators to offer precise thrust, completing micro adjustments within a fraction of a second. This helps stabilize the vehicle in flight.1”.
It continued, “Our multi-mode fan and ground sealing system acts as a downforce generator, pulling air out from beneath the vehicle. This provides enough suction to hold the vehicle upside down, even when stationary. Powered fans and active wings maximize traction and cornering speeds in all conditions, achieving massive downforce at zero speed. A next-gen steer-by-wire system offers incredible feedback in various road conditions. Activate Track Mode to lower the car and transform the suspension. High downforce or low drag modes can then be used as needed on the track.”