Elon Musk Calls Jeff Bezos a ‘Copycat’ After Report of $6.2 Billion AI Startup Launch

The long-running rivalry between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos has flared up once again—this time over artificial intelligence. According to reports, Bezos is preparing a major comeback to the CEO chair by leading a newly formed AI company called Project Prometheus, a highly funded and deeply secretive startup focused on “AI for the physical economy.” Predictably, Elon Musk had something to say—and he delivered his trademark sarcasm.

Jeff Bezos Returns to the CEO Role With Project Prometheus

Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, has kept busy with Blue Origin and various investments. But the billionaire is reportedly heading back into leadership with Project Prometheus, serving as co-founder and co-CEO of the new AI venture. The startup has already amassed a staggering $6.2 billion in funding, placing it among the most well-capitalized early-stage companies in history.

Bezos will lead the company alongside Vik Bajaj, the physicist, chemist, and former Google X director known for co-founding the medical technology firm Verily. Vik Bajaj’s LinkedIn profile now lists him as co-founder and co-CEO of Project Prometheus—one of the only public clues available about the company’s operations.

The firm’s pitch page remains mostly empty, featuring only a blacked-out logo and the cryptic description: “AI for the physical economy.”

A Secretive Startup With Big-Name Talent

Despite its quiet outward presence, Project Prometheus is already making noise in the industry. The company has reportedly hired around 100 employees, including high-profile talent poached from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Meta.

Still, major details remain unknown. There is no confirmation about the startup’s location, its operational timeline, the products it’s building, or when the technology might be unveiled.

Jeff Bezos has also remained silent publicly, sticking instead to posting about Blue Origin’s latest rocket launches.

Elon Musk Responds: “Copycat”

Elon Musk—CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and his own AI company xAI—reacted swiftly on X (formerly Twitter). In classic Musk fashion, he replied to the Bezos news with:

Haha no way 😂

Copy 🐈 https://t.co/TG8UMrWwQr

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 17, 2025

The jab continues the long history of rivalry between the two billionaires, dating back to their competing rocket companies and divergent AI philosophies.

A Crowded, Costly AI Race

Project Prometheus joins an increasingly competitive AI market where companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI dominate headlines. Billions are flowing into model development—but not everyone is convinced the economics are sustainable.

Notably, investor Michael Burry recently placed a $1 billion bet against Nvidia and Palantir, warning that major tech firms may be using accounting strategies to “artificially boost earnings.”