The recent appointment of David Sacks as the "White House A.I. and Crypto Czar" by President-elect Donald Trump has sparked a new chapter in the ongoing rivalry between billionaire Elon Musk and Sam Altman, head of OpenAI.

What Happened: On Friday, Musk took a swipe at Altman after the OpenAI chief congratulated Sacks on his new role.

Sacks, a venture capitalist and podcaster, has a history of collaboration with Musk, having worked with him at PayPal and invested in several of Musk's ventures, including SpaceX, X (formerly known as Twitter), and xAI.

His appointment is seen as a testament to Musk's influence in the incoming administration. Altman has previously accused Musk of using his political influence to disadvantage competitors and promote his own businesses.

Musk's response to Altman's congratulatory message to Sacks was a simple laughing emoji on X, further stoking their rivalry.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 6, 2024

Despite launching his own AI chat platform, Glue, Sacks asserts that his new role does not present a conflict of interest. His venture capital firm, Craft Ventures, has stated that his advisory role does not necessitate his departure from Craft.

Trump announced Sacks' appointment on his Truth Social account, lauding his knowledge, business acumen, intelligence, and pragmatism in the realms of AI and cryptocurrency.

Why It Matters: The appointment of Sacks, a long-time ally of Musk, to a key role in the Trump administration could potentially tilt the balance of power in the AI and crypto sectors.

This development is likely to intensify the rivalry between Musk and Altman, as both continue to vie for influence in these rapidly evolving fields.

This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.