Elon Musk Criticizes Trump's $500 Billion Stargate AI Project, Questions Funding from SoftBank and OpenAI

Jan 23, 2025, 08:30 AM

Elon Musk has publicly criticized a $500 billion artificial intelligence (AI) project announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, questioning the financial backing of the initiative. Trump unveiled the project, named Stargate, which aims to invest at least $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the U.S., with initial investments from companies like OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank. Musk, a key supporter of Trump who spent $270 million on his election campaign, stated on his social media platform X that the main investors 'don't actually have the money,' specifically claiming that SoftBank has secured well under $10 billion. This criticism marks a notable rift between Musk and Trump, as well as highlighting ongoing tensions between Musk and OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, with whom Musk has been engaged in legal disputes.