Sam Altman Calls Out Tesla: OpenAI CEO Struggles to Get Refund for 7-Year-Delayed Roadster Reservation

Sam Altman Can’t Get Tesla to Deliver His Roadster Or Refund His Money After 7.5 Years

The highly anticipated second-generation Tesla Roadster, first unveiled with stunning promises in 2017 (0-60 mph in under two seconds, 620 miles of range), remains elusive more than seven years after its promised 2020 delivery date. The latest saga in the “vaporware” vehicle’s delay involves OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who struggled to get a refund for his $45,000 reservation. This difficulty highlights a recurring problem for Tesla—customers report the Roadster refund process is a nightmare, despite deposits being advertised as fully refundable. Altman’s viral complaint, however, may have prompted Elon Musk to make fresh promises about a new Roadster coming in 2025 and led to Tesla posting its first job listing specifically for Roadster battery production.

The Frustration of a Seven-Year Wait

Sam Altman’s public complaint brought mainstream attention to the long-simmering frustration of thousands of Roadster reservation holders.

• Reservation Details: Altman made a $45,000 pre-reservation payment in July 2018.
• The Attempted Refund: Altman shared screenshots on social media platform X showing his attempt to cancel his reservation and request a $50,000 refund, only to have the email to Tesla’s reservations address bounce back.
• Musk’s Response: Elon Musk publicly responded on X, claiming the issue was “fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours,” accusing Altman of omitting this “Act 4”.
• The Delay History: The Roadster was originally slated to start production in 2020. The project has since been delayed repeatedly, with the timeline shifting from 2021, to 2023, then 2025.

Roadster Refund Process: A Notorious Nightmare

Customer reports confirm that the process for obtaining a refund for the “fully refundable” deposit is deliberately difficult.

• Website Obstacles: Many customers report that the online “manage reservation” page lacks a cancellation button for the Roadster, directing them instead to unresponsive email addresses and phone numbers.
• Reported Difficulty: Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee previously documented his “painful refund process,” where he had to repeatedly contact sales staff just to initiate the cancellation.
• Legal Context: The Tesla Roadster Reservation Agreement, while promising a full refund, states that the deposit money is not held in escrow, giving Tesla the legal flexibility to delay the car indefinitely while utilizing the funds.

New Promises and Production Signs

Despite the ongoing controversy, there are subtle signs that Tesla may finally be moving toward production.

• Musk’s New Tease: During a recent podcast appearance, Musk teased a “most epic demo ever” for the Roadster, scheduled for late 2025, promising the production car will have “crazy technology”.
• Job Posting: Tesla recently posted its first job listing explicitly for Roadster production, seeking a “Manufacturing Engineer” to contribute to the “concept development and launch of battery manufacturing equipment”. This suggests that the battery pack architecture is still in its “early development stages”.
• Original Specs: The promised specs include 620 miles of range from a 200 kWh battery and 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds (with a subsequent promise of under 1 second using the optional SpaceX package).

Final Thoughts

The Sam Altman refund saga serves as both a high-profile indictment of Tesla’s customer service practices and an unintended marketing campaign for the Roadster’s eventual launch. The public struggle of a well-connected billionaire highlights the poor treatment of thousands of long-suffering reservation holders. While the new job posting suggests Tesla is, at last, dedicating resources to the supercar, the fact that its battery architecture is still in “early development” indicates that a 2025 launch will likely be another demo, with actual production remaining several years away.

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