OpenAI Hires Former xAI CFO: Altman and Musk's Rivalry Intensifies

According to a report by CNBC, OpenAI has hired Mike Liberatore, the former financial executive of Elon Musk's xAI, as the commercial finance officer of the AI startup, tasked with overseeing its large-scale infrastructure expenditures. A company spokesperson stated that Liberatore left xAI in July after serving for only three months and officially joined OpenAI this Tuesday. He will report to Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar and collaborate with Greg Brockman's team, which manages contracts and capital operations behind OpenAI's compute strategy. This personnel appointment marks the latest development in the escalating rivalry between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk. The two co-founded OpenAI's nonprofit research lab in 2015, but as the company transitioned into a rapidly growing commercial entity primarily backed by Microsoft, they have publicly fallen out in recent years and become fierce competitors.