Sam Altman says he's ‘politically homeless' as Elon Musk launches new party
The post coincided with another headline-grabbing announcement from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who used the holiday to revive his plan for a third political party — dubbed the 'America Party.'
Altman's post on X, the platform owned by Musk, opened as a patriotic tribute.
'I'm not big on identities, but I am extremely proud to be American,' he wrote. 'This is true every day, but especially today — I firmly believe this is the greatest country ever on Earth.'
But the message quickly turned political. Altman criticized the government's role in economic life and advocated for a system that supports both innovation and broad-based wealth distribution.
'We should encourage people to make tons of money and then also find ways to widely distribute wealth and share the compounding magic of capitalism,' he wrote. 'You cannot raise the floor and not also raise the ceiling for very long.'
The 40-year-old entrepreneur said the Democratic Party, with which he once identified, no longer reflects these values.
'The Democratic party seemed reasonably aligned with it when I was 20, losing the plot when I was 30, and completely to have moved somewhere else at this point,' he said. 'So now I am politically homeless.'
His remarks came days after New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said on NBC's 'Meet the Press' that billionaires should not exist — a sentiment Altman appeared to push back on.
'I'd rather hear from candidates about how they are going to make everyone have the stuff billionaires have instead of how they are going to eliminate billionaires,' Altman said.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk used the holiday to announce the launch of the 'America Party,' a new political group he says will challenge what he called the 'uniparty' system.
'Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,' Musk posted Saturday on X.
The move followed Musk's dramatic break with President Donald Trump over the administration's sweeping tax and spending bill — dubbed the Big Beautiful Bill.
Musk had warned he would form a new party if the legislation passed, and, after it did, he vowed to pour money into congressional races with the goal of ousting 'every member of Congress that voted for it.'
Trump responded Sunday night on Truth Social, accusing Musk of going 'off the rails' and turning into a 'train wreck.' He also claimed Musk's opposition was driven by anger over the bill's elimination of electric vehicle tax credits — a move that could hurt Tesla.
Musk's announcement sent Tesla's stock tumbling nearly 7% on Monday, as investors reacted nervously to his deeper plunge into politics.
Musk said the America Party may focus on flipping a handful of House and Senate seats in 2026.
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His platform also includes implementing a Department of Community Safety with outreach workers in subway stations, contrasting with Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul's police partnership. Mamdani has secured endorsements from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, but lacks formal support from Hochul and two other prominent New York lawmakers, Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries. Political analyst Nate Silver has suggested Mamdani could face vulnerability in the general election as voter turnout increases beyond the primary base. What People Are Saying Paterson's statement: "Mr. Mamdani ran a successful Primary campaign, with tremendous ads and a well-done social media strategy that engaged young voters in a way we have not seen to date. However, the General Election is a very different fight that encompasses the entirety of the city. I truly believe my fellow Democrats will be doing a disservice to the people they wish to serve if they do not come together and decide to support whichever candidate has the most support among them in advance of November 4th." He continued: "We are living in a critically important time in our country's history and the most populous city in America will need true leadership to navigate this moment. That leadership will need to show itself in the coming months, before ballots are printed and voters start returning ballots by mail." Paterson concluded his statement with his final wish for the election: "As public polls and surveys are revealed over these coming weeks, it is my hope and belief that the other candidates still in the race will come to the logical conclusion that New York City needs the most effective leader to navigate what comes next and that cannibalizing each other's support will be doing a disservice to the millions of people who call New York 'home.'" Mamdani posted his latest endorsement to X on Monday: "It's a profound honor to receive the endorsement of @ManhattanDems and its Leader Keith L.T. Wright, who has worked for decades to build a fairer, more just New York. We are uniting this party around a vision to make our city affordable for all. Onward to November!" Former New York Governor David Paterson attends the New York Yankees' World Series victory celebration at City Hall on November 6, 2009, in New York City. Former New York Governor David Paterson attends the New York Yankees' World Series victory celebration at City Hall on November 6, 2009, in New York Happens Next New York City voters will decide their next mayor on November 4, with the race drawing national attention as a test of progressive versus centrist Democratic visions.
