Altman fired back on X, writing: “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” The comment, referencing the platform’s former name, also moved the decimal in Musk’s OpenAI bid one place to the left.

Musk replied to the post: “Swindler,” he said.

While Altman has signaled plans to spin off OpenAI’s nonprofit entity, it remains unclear how it will be valued. Musk’s astronomical bid could set a new benchmark—one that might determine who ultimately holds the majority stake in OpenAI’s next chapter.