![\"Salesforce](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-129953143,imgsize-81877,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff.jpg\" "\\"Salesforce")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSalesforce CEO Marc Benioff has now shared how tech giant Microsoft stopped the company from investing on OpenAI. Speaking in an interview with Matthew Berman of Future Forward, Benioff revealed that Microsoft prevented Salesforce from participating in an OpenAI investment round. Microsoft, which already poured billions into OpenAI and tightly integrated its technology into products like Copilot, reportedly discouraged other potential investors from joining. Benioff added that despite the discouragement Salesforce ultimately found a way to invest signalling the company\u2019s determination to secure a stake in the AI future.\u201cWe were really pinning after investing in OpenAI and no matter what we did in OpenAI they kind of refused to let us invest in OpenAI because Microsoft blocked us. So because we were feeling so down about Microsoft blocking us even though we known OpenAI was a great company and we wanted to invest in it and we liked the OpenAI team and the leaders and friends with them and so forth and they wanted us to even invest personally but not professionally. We felt very conflicted with that and so we were looking for more opportunities so, we invested in a series of AI companies including Cohere and Mistral and also Anthropic. Because were wanted to be part of this next-generation AI model,\u201d Benioff said. <\/p>\n Benioff has long been outspoken about Microsoft\u2019s approach to competition. He previously criticised the company\u2019s handling of Slack, warning that its aggressive tactics could repeat with OpenAI. He has also mocked Microsoft\u2019s Copilot product as \u201cClippy 2.0,\u201d questioning whether the company\u2019s massive AI spending is delivering meaningful returns. His latest comments highlight concerns about Microsoft\u2019s influence over OpenAI and the broader AI ecosystem.<\/p>\n Salesforce has been positioning itself as a major player in enterprise AI, embedding generative AI features into its CRM platform and launching tools like Einstein GPT. By investing in OpenAI, Benioff aims to ensure Salesforce remains competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. He emphasised that Salesforce\u2019s vision is not just about adopting AI as a tool, but about reshaping how businesses operate with intelligence at their core.Microsoft\u2019s deep partnership with OpenAI has raised questions across the tech industry about concentration of power and access to cutting-edge AI. Other companies, including Salesforce, are seeking ways to diversify their AI strategies and avoid over-reliance on Microsoft\u2019s ecosystem. Benioff\u2019s revelation underscores both the competitive tensions and the high stakes surrounding AI investments.<\/div>\nMarc Benioff criticised Microsoft
<\/h2>\n<\/p>\nAI ambitions of Salesforce
<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n