Altman fires! Musk is a “bully”: you have to punch him in the nose occasionally to respect you

Kuai Technology News on October 6, according to reports,In a recent interview, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman once again publicly called Elon Musk a “bully”, but at the same time said that he was of course willing to cooperate with the leader of SpaceX and xAI.

Altman first emphasized the urgency of unity in the AI ​​industry during the interview. He believes that AI companies must not only cooperate with each other, but also collaborate with governments and public officials at all levels to safely promote the development of artificial intelligence technology.

Altman said that companies such as OpenAI are currently facing a rare “window period”. Public support for AI security cooperation is rising, and the industry should seize this opportunity to join forces.

When the interviewer pointed out that Altman’s occasional “understatement” of Musk in public seemed to contradict the spirit of unity advocated by the AI ​​industry, Altman responded: “Who do you think treats whom better in this relationship? I won’t say that I am a saint, but if you want to hold someone accountable, between me and Musk, I’m not sure it’s me who should be held accountable.”

Altman then made his attitude clear directly:“I don’t like bullies, and I think Musk is a bully. So occasionally you have to punch the bully in the nose. I also think Musk, like many bullies, only respects people who dare to fight back.So if you want me to be able to cooperate with him, maybe you should be grateful that I can fight back once in a while. But of course I would like to work with Musk. “

It is worth noting that this is not the first time Altman has publicly called Musk a “bully.” As early as December 2024, in an interview, Altman had used the same word to describe Musk, calling the relationship between the two “complicated.” In August 2025, Altman also criticized Musk on social platform X for using the platform he owns to serve his own business interests.