OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Wanted His $50,000 Tesla Roadster Deposit Back. Now Elon Musk Says He's Changed His Mind
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman waited more than seven years for his Tesla Roadster. He then tried to cancel his reservation and get his $50,000 back. Now, after Tesla showed off a redesigned version of the electric sports car, Elon Musk has suggested that Altman may have changed his mind.
On October 16, 2026, Altman praised the new Roadster. This was one day after Tesla showed a prototype that could drive upside down, perform moves in the air, and go from zero to 60 mph in less than one second.
His praise was a surprising turn in a public disagreement about his reservation. The dispute became public in October 2025, when Altman shared screenshots of his original payment confirmation, his request to cancel, and an email that could not be delivered.
Another user on X asked whether Altman had changed his mind about canceling. Musk replied with one word. But Altman has not publicly said that he restored his reservation or placed a new order for a Roadster.
Seven Years of Waiting
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A story in three parts: https://t.co/ClRZBgT24g
— Sam Altman (@sama) October 30, 2025
Altman reserved the second-generation Tesla Roadster in July 2018, several months after Tesla first showed it in November 2017. His reservation confirmation showed a payment of $45,000, which was part of the original $50,000 reservation process.
In October 2025, Altman tried to cancel his reservation and asked for his $50,000 back. But his email to [email protected] was returned with a delivery failure notice. The notice said the address could not receive the message.
Altman said he was frustrated by the long wait. He wrote that 7.5 years was a long time to wait for a car he had once been excited to own.
Musk later said that Altman had received his refund within 24 hours. The exchange also drew attention because the two executives had helped start OpenAI in 2015 but were now involved in a separate public disagreement about the company's future.
The Roadster Changes Things
Tesla finally showed its redesigned Roadster on October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX testing site in Texas.
According to TechCrunch's report on the demonstration, the prototype used powerful fans and jets of compressed air to move along an upside-down ramp, spin through the air, and land on its wheels.
The car also briefly jumped over several other Tesla vehicles. Tesla showed it reaching 60 mph in about one second. However, these abilities have only been shown in a prototype, not in a production car that customers can buy.
Tesla now plans to begin making the Roadster in 2028 and expects to offer several versions.
Even though Altman had previously tried to get his reservation money back, he seemed impressed by the new car.
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Wow, the new Roadster looks really amazing. Good job, @elonmusk.
— Sam Altman (@sama) October 16, 2026
Musk Responds
After Altman praised the car, an X user named ALX asked whether he had canceled his request to cancel the reservation.
Musk replied, "Indeed."
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@alx @sama Indeed
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2026
Musk's reply suggested that Altman might be interested in buying the Roadster again. But it did not confirm that Altman had made a new reservation, restored his old order, or changed anything about the earlier refund.
The redesigned Roadster is still at least two years away from Tesla's planned production date. By then, nearly ten years will have passed since Altman first reserved the car.
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