A new chapter in the long-running feud between Musk and Altman has sparked public attention after Altman claimed he is still waiting for a refund on a 2018 deposit for the second-generation Tesla Roadster, while Musk posted a response saying the refund was issued — and delivered within 24 hours.
Altman’s post on social media included screenshots showing a July 2018 order confirmation for roughly $45,000 and a follow-up refund request from earlier this week. In his message, Altman wrote that while he remains excited about the car, the 7.5-year wait “has felt like a long time.” The email screenshot attached showed a bounced response from Tesla, suggesting his latest attempt to reach the company failed.
Musk responded via his own social-media platform, accusing Altman of presenting an incomplete story. “And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours,” Musk posted, suggesting that Altman’s claim of non-refund was misleading. Neither Tesla nor Altman’s office offered immediate public confirmation of the full timeline, leaving key details in dispute.
The incident highlights more than just a refund dispute—it underscores the growing public tension between two high-profile tech figures whose paths intertwined in founding OpenAI and later diverged. Beyond their personal rivalry, the episode raises broader questions about vehicle pre-order delays, refund transparency, and how companies handle longstanding commitments to deposit-holding customers. The Tesla Roadster itself has faced repeated production delays, making refund and update issues a recurring topic among pre-order holders.
Whether the refund was truly issued within a day as Musk claims, or whether Altman’s pending issues remain valid, the public exchange has added fuel to a drama already playing out in boardrooms and courtrooms alike—not just about cars, but about control, credibility and the future of AI and electric vehicles.
