Sam Altman slams Tesla after $50,000 Roadster refund request hits dead end following 7.5-year wait

Sam Altman Tesla Roadster: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, known as Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s alleged rival in the artificial intelligence world, is now facing a very different kind of tech frustration, trying to get his money back from Tesla, but his attempt has failed.

Sam Altman’s Tesla Refund Attempt Fails

Altman revealed on social media X that he’s been attempting to cancel his reservation for the long-delayed Tesla Roadster and get a refund for his $50,000 deposit, but the process hasn’t been easy. According to his post, even the email address tied to the reservation has been shut down.

Altman’s Viral X Post Draws Millions of Views

In his post, captioned "A tale in three acts", he wrote that, "I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait," as per the X post. Altman's post quickly went viral, drawing more than 8.6 million views and sparking a wave of commentary from Tesla fans and critics.




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Tesla Roadster: Announced in 2017, Still Not Delivered

Tesla first unveiled the next-generation Roadster back in 2017, taking reservations for $50,000 or $250,000 depending on the model, as per an Electrek report. At the time, CEO Elon Musk promised production would begin in 2020, but that never happened.

Each year since, Musk has said production was just around the corner, but the car has yet to materialize, turning the Roadster’s launch into something of a running joke among Tesla watchers, as per the Electrek report.

Other Tesla Customers Faced Similar Refund Issues

Over the years, many reservation holders have tried to cancel and get their deposits back, but reports suggest that the refund process has been notoriously difficult, as per the report. Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee previously shared similar struggles when trying to withdraw his own reservation.

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Is Tesla Finally Preparing for Roadster Production

The timing of Altman’s post is notable, as Tesla has recently hinted at finally moving the Roadster closer to production. Musk has claimed that an updated version of the electric supercar will be demonstrated before the end of the year, though he has made similar promises in the past that never materialized, as per the Electrek report.

FAQs

Why does Sam Altman want a refund from Tesla?

He’s been waiting over 7.5 years for the Tesla Roadster to be delivered and decided to cancel his reservation, as per the Electrek report.

Was Altman able to get his refund?

No. He said the reservation email was shut down, making the process difficult, as per the Electrek report.