Elon Musk Slams Project Stargate AI Funding Raising Questions Over Motives

Elon Musk has sparked controversy by questioning the financial backing of Project Stargate, a massive $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative announced by President Donald Trump. The project, a collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank, and MGX, aims to build state-of-the-art data centers across the U.S. to support advanced AI systems, with an initial $100 billion to be deployed immediately. Musk, however, took to X to express his doubts, claiming SoftBank had secured "well under $10 billion" and suggesting that the project’s financial promises might not be solid. This criticism, coming from Musk—a former OpenAI co-founder and now one of its fiercest critics—has further fueled speculation about his ongoing feud with OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman.The public reaction has been polarizing, with some siding with Musk, citing skepticism over the project's financial feasibility and SoftBank’s history with failed ventures like WeWork. Others have rallied behind Stargate's backers, arguing that the consortium’s combined assets and partnerships with tech giants like Arm, NVIDIA, and Microsoft ensure its credibility. Musk’s history with OpenAI, including his departure in 2018 and subsequent lawsuits accusing the company of betraying its nonprofit roots, has only added to the drama. Whether Musk’s comments reflect legitimate concerns or personal vendettas, one thing is clear: Project Stargate represents a bold move for AI in the U.S., and its success or failure will be closely watched.