Public spats used to be a liability for CEOs. Now, they could be a power move.
The weekend’s quarrel on X between Sam Altman and Elon Musk — Altman insisting Tesla owed him a refund, and Musk slamming the OpenAI chief’s leadership — is the latest example of just how comfortable some high-powered CEOs have become with beefing in public.
Many leaders have historically tried to keep fights behind closed doors to avoid distractions and damage to an organization’s reputation, said Kevin Donahue, a 30-year veteran of crisis comms.
“This is really a sharp departure from that norm,” he told Business Insider.
The shift might have an upside for leaders in certain competitive fields. There are times when being perceived as having sharp elbows could pay off, research suggests.
A recent study from Columbia Business School found that people who see the world as ruthless and cutthroat tend to admire aggressive leaders. Those who see it as fair and cooperative, however, often view the same behavior as reckless or unfit.
Another report from late 2024 draws similar conclusions. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan found that individuals with low concerns about reputation are more likely to be endorsed as leaders in competitive environments. They found, though, that the opposite holds true in collaborative environments.
Corporate observers see some other potential wins for Altman and Musk in arguing openly. A pugilistic approach helps keep both parties’ companies in the public eye and underscores the idea that “I won’t be outdone by the other guy,” Americus Reed, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, told Business Insider.
The move can also strengthen a leader’s image as a hardscrabble player, he said.
“That’s the whole tech-bro persona,” said Reed.
OpenAI and Musk didn’t respond to requests for comment from Business Insider on their latest dustup.
“This public sparring that we’re seeing is probably a deliberate strategy on both sides,” said Donahue, adding that both leaders likely want to boost their visibility and “control the narrative.” Winning over public opinion could, for example, make it easier to influence regulations that might emerge, he said.
Related stories
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Even so, Donahue said, “most public companies and boards don’t want the CEO to be out there like this.”
Wharton’s Reed likewise wouldn’t advise most chiefs to engage in a war of words with other leaders on social media.
After Musk got into a public rift in June with President Donald Trump, Tesla’s shares plummeted, wiping $138 billion off the company’s valuation at the time. Musk’s net worth also took a hit, dropping by $34 billion.
The Musk-Trump dispute started on X when Musk criticized Trump’s spending bill, prompting responses from the President at a press conference and later on Truth Social.
Of course, most bosses aren’t Musk or Trump — leaders who aren’t afraid to spar on social media.
Social media can be “like a loaded gun,” Reed said. “You just have to be very careful how you use this thing.”
At the same time, Donahue said, neither Musk nor Altman operates in a staid corporate environment where they might feel more pressure to take a buttoned-down approach. Plus, both have big personalities, he said.
“These aren’t wallflowers,” said Donahue, who is a senior managing director at Coologee, which focuses on brand transformations.
Public squabbles among leaders can have a negative impact on workforces and customers, especially if they’re over trivial matters, said Josh Cordoz, chief creative and learning officer at Sponge, a workforce-development firm. At the moment, he said, many people are worried about job security and paying their bills, not interpersonal disagreements.
Leaders face pressure to extract the best out of their people, Cordoz said. Fights that appear personal risk eroding their influence.
“That’s where it becomes tone-deaf,” Cordoz said.
