OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has voiced his frustration after failing to secure a refund of $50,000 for a Tesla Roadster he pre-booked back in July 2018. Sharing the ordeal on X (formerly Twitter), Altman revealed details of the original booking and his recent attempt to cancel the reservation—seven and a half years later, in October 2025. His post quickly went viral after users pointed out that while he paid $45,000 for the reservation, he was asking for a $50,000 refund, sparking widespread debate online.

The caption of the now viral post read, “A tale in three acts.” In the post, Altman shared screenshots showing the initial reservation email and the error message he received while trying to request a refund. Responding to the automated Tesla message, he wrote, “Hi, I’d like to cancel my reservation. Could you please refund me the $50k?”

Altman mentioned that while he had been enthusiastic about the car, the prolonged delay had tested his patience. “I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait,” he said.

Unfortunately, Altman’s refund request never reached Tesla, as his screenshot revealed that the reply email address was no longer active.

Social media reaction

A detail that caught the attention of several users was that, according to the photo shared by Altman, he had paid $45,000 for the reservation but requested a refund of $50,000. This discrepancy prompted many to question the difference in amounts.

One user commented, “It’s 45k why are you asking for 50k?”. Another echoed the sentiment, saying, “why is the refund $50K while the reservation cost was $45K?”

Others focused on the timing of his cancellation. A user asked, “Why cancel after waiting 7.5 years when the final version is going to be unveiled end of year”. Supporting this point, another wrote, “Sam, 7.5yr wait's brutal, but Tesla's chief designer confirms Roadster unveil late 2025...0-60 under 2s, 620mi range, top speed 250+mph. SpaceX thrusters optional for 1s accel. Reconsider refund?”

Tesla Roadster’s long wait

Tesla’s Roadster was originally unveiled by CEO Elon Musk in 2017 amid great anticipation as a high-performance electric sports car. The company had claimed that the model would be capable of accelerating from 0 to 96 kmph in just 1.9 seconds, achieve a top speed of 402 kmph, and offer a range of 620 miles (around 997 km).