Elon Musk ·OpenAI ·28 JUN 2017
How to Turn a Partner's Asset Into Your Competitive Weapon
The fastest way to build a moat is to make someone else's resources do the work — before your rivals think to ask.
Leader · Profile
Sam Altman
OpenAI·Y Combinator
2014–present
CEO of OpenAI and former president of Y Combinator. The Musk v. Altman litigation and the 2023 board crisis exposed his correspondence on OpenAI's founding bargain, governance, and the Microsoft partnership.
SA
Correspondence in the archive
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Elon Musk & Ilya Sutskever ·OpenAI ·20 SEP 2017
When Funding Becomes Leverage, Trust Becomes the Real Asset
The moment your funder's leverage looks like a path to absolute control, your co-founders stop building and start negotiating their exit.
Greg Brockman ·OpenAI ·31 JAN 2018
Turn Your Mission Into A Moat
When you can't outspend competitors, out-trust them — moral high ground is a strategic asset, not a slogan.