Elon Musk mocked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Nov. 1, 2026, over his remarks about the inefficient use of scarce RAM in home computers. The exchange highlighted a broader dispute over whether limited DRAM supplies should go to personal devices or centralized cloud infrastructure.

Musk posted a meme on X featuring Hans Landa, the character played by Christoph Waltz in the film “Inglourious Basterds.” The meme’s caption reads: “You’re hiding DRAM from the cloud, aren’t you?”

Musk added: “People deserve to have their own RAM, too!”. His post mocked Altman’s position that putting limited DRAM supplies in personal computers is less efficient than allocating them to data centers, where the resources can be used more intensively.

Other figures in technology and cryptocurrency also criticized Altman. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson posted a meme featuring an elderly woman with the caption: “Tell Sam Altman I use 64 GB of RAM to play RollerCoaster Tycoon. I want him to know it was me.”

Ripple Labs CTO David Schwartz said Altman would get his RAM only after the owner’s death and invited the OpenAI chief to debate him publicly.

Minecraft creator Markus Persson, known as Notch, said he intended to stop using ChatGPT. “Well then, I won’t be using ChatGPT anymore! Thanks for showing your true colors. Who’s next?” Persson wrote.

The criticism reflected a wider debate over the allocation of computing resources. Critics of Altman’s position argue that the expansion of cloud-based AI services should not restrict users’ ability to control their own hardware.

Altman’s comments on scarce DRAM

Altman discussed component shortages, rising AI infrastructure costs and the prospects for running AI models locally during an Oct. 29, 2026, interview on the Cheeky Pint podcast, hosted by Stripe co-founder John Collison.

Altman said many users expect open models to allow computations to run directly on personal devices, reducing reliance on cloud services. He questioned the economic efficiency of that approach while memory-chip production remains constrained.

“From the standpoint of global resource allocation, it’s pretty bad when each person has a significant share of the world’s limited DRAM supply sitting in their computer, and it’s only used 5% of the time,” Altman noted.

He said placing memory in data centers would allow computing resources to be used more extensively during the shortage. “With supply this constrained, we need to maximize utilization of cloud infrastructure. However, many people’s intuition is the exact opposite of that,” the OpenAI CEO added.

Altman attributed the RAM shortage in part to years of low returns on large capital investments by DRAM manufacturers, which made them cautious about expanding production. He cited a hypothetical case in which a company invests $20 billion in manufacturing capacity and produces output worth about $19 billion. After such cycles, he said, manufacturers were reluctant to build new plants even as demand increased.

Altman said he hoped increased supply would eventually reduce the cost of memory, electricity, chips and other components of AI infrastructure. He did not propose banning RAM installations in personal computers or forcibly taking memory from users; his remarks concerned the efficiency of allocating scarce resources as the AI industry expands.

Musk and Altman’s dispute

Musk’s post marked another episode in his public dispute with Altman. The two helped found OpenAI in 2015 but later diverged over the organization’s direction.

Musk began legal proceedings against OpenAI and its leadership in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the organization’s original nonprofit mission. In May 2026, a California federal court jury rejected his claim for $150 billion in damages. Musk intends to appeal, arguing that the decision rested on procedural limitations rather than a review of the merits of his claims.

Source: Incrypted