In a surprise move, Elon Musk has led a consortium of investors in a $97.4 billion hostile takeover bid for OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research organization he co-founded in 2015. The offer, announced on Monday, has sparked a heated response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has refused the bid and countered with a tongue-in-cheek proposal to buy Twitter instead.

The investor group, which includes Baron Capital Group, Valor Management, Atreides Management, Vy Fund III, Emanuel Capital Management, and Eight Partners VC, has offered to acquire all of OpenAI's assets and is "prepared to consider matching or exceeding higher bids," according to a press release sent to TechCrunch. However, Altman was quick to respond on X, the social media platform, saying "no thank you" to the offer and jokingly proposing to buy Twitter for $9.74 billion instead.

The consortium's bid is seen by many as a hostile takeover attempt, given Musk's history with OpenAI. Musk was a key figure in the organization's founding, but he has been at odds with Altman over the latter's plans to restructure OpenAI from its original non-profit status. Musk has been attempting to halt these plans, and the takeover bid is seen by some as a means to exert control over the organization.

The investor group's connections to Musk are undeniable. Baron Capital Group, founded by Ron Baron, has large stakes in Tesla and SpaceX, while Atreides Management's founder, Gavin Baker, has invested in both Tesla and SpaceX. Valor Management's founder, Antonio Gracias, is an early SpaceX investor and former Tesla board member. Vy Capital, founded by Alexander Tamas, has also invested in SpaceX and other Musk companies. Eight Partners VC, founded by Joe Lonsdale, is a vocal supporter of Musk and has invested in several of his ventures.

While it is unclear how serious the consortium's bid is, some analysts believe it may be a tactical move to drive up the price that Altman's team would have to pay to acquire OpenAI's underlying assets. This would allow Musk to exert greater control over the organization's future direction. However, the move has sparked a heated debate over the future of AI research and the role of non-profit organizations in the field.

The implications of this takeover bid are far-reaching, with potential consequences for the development of AI technology and the balance of power in the tech industry. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Altman will be able to resist Musk's bid and maintain control over OpenAI's future direction.

In the meantime, the tech community is left to ponder the motivations behind Musk's move and the potential consequences of a hostile takeover. One thing is certain, however: the battle for control of OpenAI is far from over, and the outcome will have significant implications for the future of AI research and development.