Yazılar

Elon Musk’s xAI closing in on $20 billion raise backed by Nvidia chips

/in /tarafından

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is nearing a massive $20 billion capital raise tied to Nvidia’s cutting-edge GPU technology, according to Bloomberg News. The report says the financing will combine both equity and debt, with Nvidia investing up to $2 billion as part of the equity tranche.

The funds are linked to Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs), which xAI plans to deploy in its upcoming Colossus 2 data center. The financing structure reportedly includes around $7.5 billion in equity and as much as $12.5 billion in debt, channeled through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) designed to purchase Nvidia chips.

Neither Nvidia nor xAI has commented publicly on the deal. However, the move signals a deepening relationship between the world’s leading AI hardware maker and one of its most ambitious software challengers.

In September, Musk dismissed reports claiming xAI was raising $10 billion at a $200 billion valuation, though he confirmed the company would seek capital “in the coming months.” Founded in July 2023, xAI aims to build an alternative to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, focusing on developing artificial general intelligence systems with tighter integration to Musk’s broader tech ecosystem.

OpenAI Seeks Dismissal of xAI’s Trade-Secret Lawsuit, Calls It Part of Musk’s “Ongoing Harassment”

/in /tarafından

OpenAI has asked a U.S. federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s startup xAI, which accuses the company of poaching employees to steal trade secrets. In a filing submitted Thursday, OpenAI described the case as part of Musk’s “ongoing harassment” campaign against the company he once co-founded.

The San Francisco lawsuit, filed by xAI last week, claims OpenAI engaged in a “deeply troubling pattern” of recruiting former xAI staff to gain access to proprietary information about its AI chatbot Grok, which it alleges is more advanced than ChatGPT.

OpenAI denied all allegations, calling them “false and unsubstantiated.” The company argued that employees are free to change jobs and that OpenAI has the right to hire talent from any competitor. “Under Musk’s leadership, talented xAI employees are leaving in droves, and some are coming to OpenAI to help advance OpenAI’s mission,” the filing stated. “Those employees have every right to go where they choose.”

OpenAI’s filing further accused Musk of using litigation as a distraction from xAI’s internal struggles, saying the startup is “hemorrhaging talent” to other firms. “This case is an attempt to intimidate OpenAI and distract from the failures of [Musk’s] own competitive AI effort,” the company argued.

Neither Musk’s representatives nor xAI’s attorneys immediately responded to requests for comment.

The dispute adds to a growing web of legal battles between Musk and OpenAI. Musk has already sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman over the company’s shift from a non-profit to a for-profit structure, while OpenAI has countersued Musk for harassment. Separately, xAI has sued Apple, alleging it conspired with OpenAI to suppress rival AI platforms—claims that both companies have denied and sought to have dismissed.

The escalating conflict underscores the intensifying rivalry within Silicon Valley’s AI race, where talent mobility, corporate secrecy, and massive investments have become flashpoints in the battle to dominate next-generation artificial intelligence.

Judge Rejects Elon Musk’s Bid to Move SEC Lawsuit From Washington to Texas

/in /tarafından

A U.S. federal judge has denied Elon Musk’s request to move a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit from Washington, D.C. to Texas, rejecting his claim that the capital’s court location was overly burdensome given his packed schedule.

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan ruled on Thursday that while she acknowledges Musk’s demanding workload, his “considerable means” and frequent travel make Washington an appropriate venue. She also noted that Musk spends at least 40% of his time outside Texas, including significant periods in the capital, where he recently led the Department of Government Efficiency.

The judge emphasized that Texas courts face heavier caseloads, while her court could handle the matter with “reasonable alacrity.” Musk’s argument centered on his claim that he works 80 or more hours per week, often sleeping at his office or factories, and that defending himself in Washington would cause “substantial burdens.”

The SEC lawsuit, filed in January, accuses Musk of failing to timely disclose his acquisition of a 5% stake in Twitter (now X) in early 2022. The 11-day delay, according to the SEC, allowed him to buy over $500 million worth of shares at artificially low prices, saving him an estimated $150 million. The agency seeks a civil fine and the forfeiture of those gains, while Musk is attempting to have the case dismissed.

Musk, whose fortune reportedly surpassed $500 billion this week, resides in Austin, Texas, where his major companies—Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company—are headquartered. He had also proposed moving the case to Manhattan, where former Twitter shareholders have filed a related lawsuit, but that request was likewise denied.

The case, titled SEC v. Musk, will proceed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under docket number 25-00105, setting the stage for another high-profile courtroom battle involving one of the world’s most controversial billionaires.