Elon Musk said on November 1, 2025, that Sam Altman’s Tesla Roadster reservation issue had been fixed and that Altman received a refund within 24 hours. That outcome has not been independently verified in the cited coverage. The story began with Altman’s October 2025 public account of trying to cancel his reservation after an email to Tesla bounced.
Did Sam Altman get his Tesla Roadster deposit back?
Musk said Altman did. In a November 1, 2025 report, TechCrunch quoted Musk saying the issue was fixed and Altman had received a refund within 24 hours. The report does not independently verify that payment through Tesla records or include a confirmation from Altman, so the refund is best described as Musk’s account of what happened. TechCrunch’s follow-up quoted Musk: “And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours.”
Why did Sam Altman ask Tesla for a refund?
Altman said he was trying to cancel his second-generation Roadster reservation and get his money back after an email he sent to Tesla’s reservation address bounced. Electrek reported on October 31, 2025, that Altman had shared screenshots of the failed email in a post on X the previous day. Electrek’s account and TechCrunch’s October 31 report describe his cancellation attempt.
Altman said he had been excited about the car and understood delays, but added: “7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.” He said he had reserved the Roadster in 2018, following Tesla’s 2017 unveiling of the second-generation model.
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How much was the Tesla Roadster deposit?
TechCrunch described Altman’s refund request as involving a $50,000 reservation fee. Electrek reported that Tesla accepted deposits of $50,000 for the standard Roadster and $250,000 for the Founders Series. Those are separate reservation figures; the cited coverage does not provide an order record establishing the exact breakdown of Altman’s payment. Electrek’s 2017 report gives the deposit amounts.
| Figure | What it refers to | Attribution |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | Reservation fee or refund request reported in Altman’s case | TechCrunch, October 31, 2025 |
| $50,000 | Reported deposit for the standard second-generation Roadster | Electrek, 2017 |
| $250,000 | Reported deposit for the Founders Series | Electrek, 2017 |
What the reports establish—and what they do not
The October 2025 reports establish that Altman publicly described an attempt to cancel his reservation and seek a refund after his email bounced. The November 1 follow-up establishes that Musk publicly said the problem had been resolved and the refund received within 24 hours. Neither report provides independent confirmation of the transaction, and the reported refund does not mean the car was delivered.
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