Microsoft’s absence from OpenAI’s Stargate announcement follows months of tension between the companies and signals a new era in which the longtime partners will be less reliant on each other. At a White House press conference,

Such announcements aren’t without political risks, as OpenAI learned when Trump adviser Elon Musk criticized the deal on the social network he owns.

The Stargate project, a landmark US$500 billion joint venture announced by US President Donald Trump in early 2025, has exposed growing tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft. While initially co-developed by the two companies,