Trump dismisses Musk’s critique of Stargate funding partners

The White House defended a major AI infrastructure deal after Elon Musk publicly questioned its financial viability, with President Trump dismissing the criticism as stemming from personal animosity between tech leaders.

Key announcement details: President Trump unveiled a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative called Stargate, backed by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank.

• The project aims to enhance U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure through private sector investment
• The participating companies pledged an initial $100 billion investment with plans to increase funding to $500 billion
• The initiative involves no government funding, relying entirely on private sector capital

Public dispute: Elon Musk challenged the deal’s legitimacy on his social media platform X, targeting specifically the financial capacity of the participants.

• Musk claimed SoftBank has “well under $10B secured” based on what he called “good authority”
• The criticism sparked a public feud between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on social media
• Trump downplayed the criticism, attributing it to personal animosity between Musk and “one of the people” in the deal

White House response: The administration maintained confidence in the deal’s viability despite the public criticism.

• Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Americans to trust “President Trump and those CEOs’ words”
• Trump acknowledged uncertainty about the funding but emphasized that the private sector, not the government, would be responsible for the investment
• The participating companies have not publicly detailed their funding mechanisms for the project

Complex relationships: The situation highlights the intricate dynamics between key players in the AI industry and Trump administration.

• Musk remains closely involved with the Trump administration, including recent involvement in presidential pardons
• A ongoing lawsuit between Musk and OpenAI over ChatGPT’s commercialization underlies the tension
• Musk has previously expressed distrust of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, claiming the company departed from its nonprofit mission

Looking beyond the drama: While personal rivalries and public disputes make headlines, the broader implications of this massive AI infrastructure investment deserve attention. The success or failure of Stargate could significantly impact U.S. technological competitiveness, regardless of the current controversy surrounding its announcement.