Elon Musk drives Donald Trump into the parade at KI-Plan

Elon Musk is putting his close relationship with Donald Trump to the test: The tech billionaire is raising doubts about the huge AI project that the US President proudly presented in the White House. “In reality, they don’t have the money,” Musk wrote on his online platform X. Trump had previously announced that ChatGPT developer OpenAI and technology partners were investing $500 billion in new data centers for artificial intelligence (AI).

Initially, 100 billion dollars (96 billion euros) will be invested in the joint venture called Stargate. In addition to OpenAI, the software giant Oracle and the Japanese technology group Softbank are also involved in the project. Musk scoffed that he knew from a reliable source that Softbank had only secured ten billion dollars.

The White House reprimanded Musk – but without naming him. “The American people should believe President Trump and these corporate leaders,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News. “These investments are coming to our great country – and bringing American jobs with them.” According to the announcement, Stargate will create 100,000 jobs in the United States.

Musk donated more than $250 million to Trump’s campaign and is often seen alongside the president. He is supposed to help Trump cut government spending. Both always praised each other highly.

However, the tech billionaire clearly didn’t like the Stargate announcement. Musk and OpenAI boss Sam Altman are in the middle of an escalating conflict. Musk was once one of the OpenAI founders himself, but then dropped out. Meanwhile, he went to court to stop OpenAI’s transformation into a for-profit company. In return, Altman’s company accuses Musk of wanting to seize control of OpenAI at the time. Musk has since set up the competing company xAI.

Altman contradicted the claim that Softbank only had ten billion dollars ready and invited Musk to visit the construction site of the first data center. Then he followed up: “This is great for the country. I realize that what is great for the country is not always optimal for your companies.” But he hopes that Musk will “for the most part” put the USA first in his new role. Musk doesn’t initially respond.

OpenAI is also supported at Stargate by long-standing partner Microsoft. Microsoft boss Satya Nadella remained calm about the controversy. “All I know is that I have $80 billion,” he told CNBC.

Musk is said to have angered Trump’s environment before. The Wall Street Journal wrote last week that some of the president’s confidants and allies complained that Musk was meddling in topics he knew nothing about and talking too much during deliberations.