Elon Musk Opposes OpenAI Abu Dhabi AI Data Center Deal

Elon Musk expressed significant disillusionment with the Trump administration, particularly criticizing a large domestic policy bill for increasing the deficit and undermining government efficiency efforts he was involved with. Ahead of President Trump's Middle East trip, Musk actively sought to block a deal between OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, and UAE officials to build a major AI data center in Abu Dhabi, demanding that his own AI startup, xAI, be included in the agreement. Despite Musk's lobbying and objections raised with White House officials, including Trump's AI adviser David Sacks, the deal proceeded without xAI's involvement. Musk's efforts reflected broader concerns about fairness in AI industry deals and his frustrations with political and reputational challenges stemming from his government role. The consortium backing the AI center includes major tech firms such as Cisco, Nvidia, Oracle, and SoftBank, emphasizing the substantial scale and strategic importance of the project. Overall, Musk's distancing from Trump and the administration underscores tensions between his business ambitions and the political landscape.