"But You Don't Have Money," Musk Throws Cold Water... Is Trump Really a 'First Buddy'?

Musk Douses AI Investment Plan, Saying "No Money"
Musk: "SoftBank Secured Less Than $10 Billion"
Rival Altman Rebuts, Saying "You Are Definitely Wrong"

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and known as the 'First Buddy' of U.S. President Donald Trump, poured cold water on Trump's plan for large-scale private sector investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, saying "there is no money."

On the 22nd (local time), Musk revealed this through his social networking service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter), which he owns.

Musk said, "They actually don't have the money," adding, "The amount secured by SoftBank is less than $10 billion. I confirmed this through reliable sources."

The day before, President Trump announced an AI infrastructure investment plan at the White House involving OpenAI, Oracle, and Japan's SoftBank, with up to $500 billion (approximately 718 trillion won) to be invested. These three companies agreed to establish a joint venture called 'Stargate' to build AI infrastructure such as data centers within the United States. President Trump praised it as "the largest AI infrastructure project in U.S. history," but Musk, a close and influential ally, expressed doubts about the project just one day later.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman immediately rebutted Musk's claims.

He commented on Musk's post, saying, "You are definitely wrong, as you know," and asked, "Would you like to visit the sites where the project is already underway?" He added, "This is very good for the country," and pointed out, "What is good for the country may not be the best for your company, but I hope your new role prioritizes America."

The U.S. economic daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "Just hours after Trump announced the AI infrastructure project, Musk publicly expressed doubts about the smooth start of the joint venture," and stated, "Musk poured cold water on the Stargate AI project supported by Trump." It further noted, "This reveals the sometimes awkward and uncomfortable dynamics between billionaire Musk, who was tasked with government spending cuts and federal bureaucracy streamlining, and the new president," adding, "They signaled that Musk would not reduce his unfiltered remarks online even after Trump took office."

Some analysts suggest that Musk's provocative posts may stem from his 'rivalry' with OpenAI CEO Altman, who is participating in this large-scale project. The two co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk left the organization in 2018 due to internal conflicts. They are currently engaged in legal disputes over OpenAI's transition to a for-profit company. From the perspective of Musk's AI company xAI, OpenAI and SoftBank are seen as potential competitors, which may have influenced his stance.