OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responds to Tesla Roadster reveal a year after seeking refund for his $50,000 deposit

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has responded to the long-awaited Tesla Roadster after previously asking for his money back following more than seven years of waiting for the electric supercar.

The tech CEO publicly shared his frustration with Tesla in October 2025, revealing that his attempt to cancel his reservation had hit a stumbling block.

Now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has finally unveiled the redesigned car, complete with some seriously wild tricks.

And the exchange between the two tech bosses following the reveal has added another twist to the story.

Sam Altman waited seven years for his Tesla Roadster

OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s Tesla Roadster saga began in July 2018, when he reserved the EV with a $45,000 deposit.

Tesla had originally unveiled the second-generation Roadster in November 2017, promising a high-performance electric vehicle that could challenge some of the world’s most exciting supercars.

But the car’s arrival kept getting pushed back, leaving reservation holders waiting years longer than expected.

By October 2025, Altman had finally had enough, he posted what he called ‘A tale in three acts’ on X, sharing screenshots of his original reservation and an email requesting a refund.

The problem was that his refund request bounced back because the email address he contacted could not be reached.

“I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait,” Altman wrote.

A tale in three acts: https://t.co/ClRZBgT24g

— Sam Altman (@sama) October 30, 2025

Although the headline figure was $50,000, his original reservation receipt showed a $45,000 deposit, but Tesla’s reservation process involved an initial $5,000 payment followed by another $45,000, explaining the difference.

Musk responded to Altman’s post with a dig about OpenAI, before claiming that the issue had been resolved and Altman had received his refund within 24 hours.

Altman reacts to Tesla’s new Roadster

Fast-forward to October 15, 2026, and Tesla finally gave the world a fresh look at its long-delayed electric supercar.

The redesigned Roadster appeared at an event in Texas, where it demonstrated some extraordinary capabilities, including using a combination of fans and thrusters to move around a specially constructed track and briefly lift itself into the air.

Tesla also demonstrated the car driving upside down, while Musk claimed it could accelerate from zero to 60mph in under one second.

The company says production is expected to begin in 2028, meaning customers will still have to wait to see the finished vehicle arrive on public roads.

The reveal was certainly a dramatic return for a car that has spent years being delayed, and it caught Altman’s attention.

“Wow the new roadster looks quite amazing, good job @elonmusk,” the OpenAI CEO wrote on X on October 16.

Wow the new roadster looks quite amazing, good job @elonmusk

— Sam Altman (@sama) October 16, 2026

Elon Musk’s one-word reply hints at a possible twist

Altman’s praise quickly prompted another user to bring up his previous cancellation request.

“Did you cancel your order cancellation?” they asked.

Musk replied with a single word: “Indeed.”

@alx @sama Indeed

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2026

The response appeared to suggest that Altman had reversed his decision to cancel his reservation, however, Altman did not publicly confirm that he had placed a new order or reinstated his original booking.

The exchange is particularly interesting given the complicated history between the two men, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 before their relationship deteriorated into a public dispute.

Musk has since launched his own AI company, xAI, putting the pair in direct competition in the race to develop artificial intelligence.

For now, Altman’s latest comments show that the new Tesla Roadster has managed to win him over again, at least when it comes to the car’s design and capabilities.

Whether he will actually own one remains to be seen, but after years of delays, the electric supercar finally looks closer to becoming a reality.