30s Summary
Donald Trump is poised to appoint AI and crypto expert, David Sacks, as an advisor. The crypto community has responded positively, given Sacks’ endorsement of the cryptocurrency Solana. However, OpenAI head Sam Altman might not be happy due to Sacks’ previous criticism of OpenAI’s shift from nonprofit to profit-making. Sacks had also claimed on a podcast that OpenAI tricked Musk into thinking his investment was for a beneficial purpose. The CEO of Messari crypto exchange, Ryan Selkis, joined the discussion with a controversial post, indicating ongoing drama in the AI and crypto sphere.
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Incoming US President Donald Trump is planning to appoint David Sacks, a big name in AI and crypto, as an advisor. Sacks is a former tech guy with strong roots to folks like Elon Musk and is known for his opinions on AI company OpenAI’s move towards profit-making.
Trump tweeted about Sacks’ appointment which seemed to make the crypto folks pretty happy, as Sacks is known to be a fan of the cryptocurrency Solana. His views on the AI industry are also pretty open-minded, suggesting he might bring a more laidback approach to the industry, which could be good news.
But, head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, may not be as thrilled about Sacks’ appointment. Sacks was formerly critical of OpenAI’s shift from nonprofit to profit-making on an All-In podcast episode.
OpenAI, partly founded and invested in by Elon Musk, was initially a non-profit research group. But under Altman’s leadership, they launched a for-profit branch, leading Musk to sue OpenAI over the shift.
In the podcast episode, Sacks said OpenAI conned Musk into thinking he was investing in something that was for the greater good. That sentiment was shared by fellow podcast guest, Mark Cuban. Of interest, Sam Altman was one of the first people to congratulate Sacks on his new job.
In a possibly related note, former CEO of the Messari crypto exchange, Ryan Selkis, also joined the discussion. He left his job in 2024 following controversial posts about Trump. He responded to Altman’s post with a meme and a sassy comment. So, it seems the drama in the world of AI and crypto carries on!