Although Elon Musk and Sam Altman are now locked in a rivalry, they were once a powerful duo who co-founded OpenAI. Recently a video of 2016 conversation resurfaced, suggesting Altman’s admiration for Musk. In the video, the current OpenAI CEO asks the Tesla and SpaceX mogul a question common among ambitious young people: “I want to be the next Elon Musk, how do I do that?” In reply, Musk shared an insight into his thought process and style of work, explaining what shaped his ventures, which include Tesla Inc., SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.

Musk’s shares his ‘college blueprint’

Musk reflected on his college years, explaining that his path was guided by a core goal: maximising usefulness. He identified five major areas he believed would have the most impact on humanity: making life multiplanetary (SpaceX), accelerating sustainable energy (Tesla), building the Internet (early startups), exploring genetics and advancing artificial intelligence (AI).

“I didn’t expect to be involved in all of those things. Actually, at the time in college, I thought helping with the electrification of cars was how I would start out. That is actually what I worked on as an intern: advanced ultracapacitors, to see if they would be a breakthrough relative to batteries for energy storage in cars,” he said.He detailed his early focus on electric cars and advanced energy storage technologies before recognising a unique, critical opportunity in technology that led him to pivot to an Internet startup in 1995. “When I came out to go to Stanford, that is what I was going to be doing my grad studies on: working on advanced energy storage technologies for electric cars. However, I put that on hold to start an internet company in ’95 because that seemed to be a time for particular technologies where they are at a steep point in the inflection curve. I didn’t want to do a PhD at Stanford and watch it happen,” he added.

Elon Musk and Sam Altman: From collaboration to conflict

The rivalry between the two tech CEOs now spans multiple fronts. Since departing OpenAI, Musk has criticised the Microsoft-backed company’s shift toward a profit-making entity, filing multiple lawsuits. In 2025, Musk attempted a $97 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, which he later dropped. Musk also founded xAI – his own AI company to rival OpenAI.Meanwhile, Altman has expanded his scope into space, investing in space ventures like Stoke Space, effectively positioning himself as a competitor to Musk’s SpaceX.