Elon Musk, the tech magnate often at the centre of global debates on artificial intelligence, free speech, and innovation, joined Joe Rogan on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience to discuss OpenAI, whistle-blowers, and the ethics of emerging technology.
Joe Rogan, the US-based comedian, commentator, and host known for his long-form, unfiltered interviews with global figures from science, politics, and entertainment, engaged Musk in his characteristic freewheeling style. The 3-hour-18-minute episode (listed as 3h 23m on some platforms) was released on October 31, 2025.
Early in the discussion, Rogan brought up Sam Altman, the CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, while talking about AI ethics and leadership controversies. Rogan referenced Altman’s recent interview with Tucker Carlson, which prompted a segue into the case of Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher and alleged whistle-blower whose death in November 2024 had raised questions online.
Musk joined in, suggesting that Balaji’s death “looked like murder,” citing details that, according to him, “didn’t add up.” He mentioned alleged inconsistencies such as a food delivery ordered shortly before the reported time of death, cut security-camera wires, blood found in two rooms, and even a wig discovered at the scene, all details that Musk said made the official suicide narrative suspicious.
Following this discussion, Musk turned to the camera and said, “I am never committing suicide. Ever.”
He then explained that he wanted to “go on record” so that if anything ever happened to him, especially after publicly questioning “powerful interests”, no one would believe it was suicide. The statement has since gone viral, reigniting debates over whistle-blower safety and transparency within the AI industry.
Elon Musk and Sam Altman, once co-founders of OpenAI, have since become rivals in one of Silicon Valley’s most public feuds. The two initially shared a vision of developing artificial intelligence safely and for the public good. However, their partnership fractured when OpenAI shifted from a non-profit to a capped-profit company, a move Musk viewed as a betrayal of its founding principles.
Musk left the OpenAI board in 2018, later launching his own AI venture, xAI, and in 2024 sued Altman and OpenAI, alleging that they had abandoned their original mission to benefit humanity in favour of commercial gain. Altman dismissed the claims as “misinformed,” and has publicly called Musk “a sad, insecure man.”
Since then, the two have traded jabs in public and online, their rivalry reflecting not only differing visions for AI’s future but also the egos and ideological clashes that dominate the tech world.
