Sam Altman waited 7.5 years for Tesla delivery, now he wants his $50,000 refund

Sam Altman’s post about emailing Tesla and requesting a $50,000 refund, which he had paid while booking a car, has prompted a series of remarks.

Sam Altman shared a series of email screenshots sharing his communication with Tesla. In his post, the OpenAI boss stated that although he had booked the car over seven years ago, he had yet to receive it. In one of his emails, he requested a refund of $50,000, which he had paid when booking the vehicle.

Sam Altman shared a series of screenshots of his email interaction with Tesla. (X/@sama, File Photo)

“A tale in three acts,” Altman wrote. The first screenshot shows a booking confirmation from Tesla in 2018. “We have successfully received your reservation payments. Your reservation is now paid in full,” read the email.

The next email sent by Altman in 2025 captures him asking for a refund. “Hi, I’d like to cancel my reservation. Could you please refund me the $50k?"

The third screenshot shows that the email ID, from which the OpenAI boss initially received the confirmation, was no longer in service.

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

Altman’s post has gone viral with over 2.5 million views. It has also prompted a series of responses from people.

What did social media say?

An individual commented, “Why cancel after waiting 7.5 years when the final version is going to be unveiled at the end of the year?” Another posted, “Sam, 7.5yr wait's brutal, but Tesla's chief designer confirms Roadster will unveil late 2025... 0-60 under 2s, 620mi range, top speed 250+mph. SpaceX thrusters optional for 1s acceleration. Reconsider refund?”

A third added, “At this point it’s vintage before it even ships.” A fourth wrote, “What’s $50K between two billionaires anyway.”

Tesla, on its official website, describes the Roadster as an “all-electric supercar.” The EV maker claims the vehicle “maximises the potential of aerodynamic engineering—with record-setting performance and efficiency.”