OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly requested a refund for his Tesla Roadster deposit after waiting over seven years for the delayed vehicle. He shared screenshots on X showing a bounced email to Tesla's reservation address. The move highlights ongoing delays in the Roadster's production amid a backdrop of rivalry between Altman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, took to X on Thursday, October 30, 2025, to announce his attempt to cancel a reservation for Tesla's second-generation Roadster. In a post titled 'A tale in three acts,' he included a screenshot of a July 2018 email confirming his $50,000 deposit. Altman followed up with another screenshot of an email sent that day to reservations@tesla.com, requesting a $50,000 refund, but it bounced back as undeliverable.
'I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait,' Altman wrote in a subsequent post. The thread quickly went viral, garnering over 5 million views.
Tesla unveiled the new Roadster in 2017, with Elon Musk promising it would be the fastest production car ever, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds and to 100 mph in 4.2 seconds. Production was initially slated for 2020 but has faced repeated delays, becoming a point of frustration for reservation holders. During an October 2024 earnings call, Musk stated Tesla was finalizing the design but prioritizing its core mission of sustainable energy, adding, 'We are working on it, but it has to come behind things that have a more serious impact on the world. So, just thank you to all our long-suffering Tesla Roadster deposit holders.' Musk has recently teased a demonstration of an updated Roadster before the end of 2025, describing it as featuring 'crazy technology' that could make it 'crazier than' combined James Bond cars, potentially including SpaceX cold gas thrusters for hovering.
Altman's action occurs against a history of tension with Musk, who co-founded OpenAI with him in 2015 but left the board in 2018. Musk has filed multiple lawsuits against Altman and OpenAI in 2024, accusing it of straying from its nonprofit roots through its Microsoft partnership and for-profit shift. Altman has expressed mixed feelings, saying in a September 2024 interview, 'For a long time, I looked up to him as an incredible hero... I have different feelings now.' OpenAI completed its restructuring on October 28, 2025, with its nonprofit arm overseeing a new public benefit corporation eyeing a $1 trillion public valuation. Neither Altman nor Tesla representatives responded to comment requests.
