Key Highlights
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly shared his frustration over a $45,000 Tesla reservation made in July 2018.
- The reservation for the highly anticipated and repeatedly delayed Tesla Roter remained undelivered after seven and a half years.
- Tesla’s response to Altman’s post was not specified as of October 31, 2025.
Sam Altman’s Frustration Over Long-Pending Tesla Reservation
OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman has revealed his long-standing frustration over a $45,000 pre-reservation he made for a Tesla vehicle in July 2018. This reservation was for the highly anticipated Tesla Roter, which was repeatedly delayed and is now more than seven years overdue.
In an effort to address this issue, Altman attempted to contact Tesla but received a bounced email with an “Address not found” error message. He shared screenshots of his correspondence on microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), detailing the sequence of events leading up to this incident.
Timeline and Correspondence
In a series of posts, Altman presented three different emails related to his reservation:
- The first email confirmed the reservation with RN109156241 as the confirmation number.
- The second email was his request for a refund due to the prolonged delay.
- The third email was a bounce-back message indicating an “Address not found” error.
Background on Tesla Roter and Delayed Delivery
The Tesla Roter, one of Tesla’s most hyped unveilings at the time, was originally slated for production in 2020. However, multiple delays pushed back its release date far beyond the initial timeline. In 2024, Elon Musk told investors that the Roter would be behind other critical projects.
Despite the long wait, Altman expressed understanding for the delays but highlighted the significant time elapsed since his reservation: “I really was excited for the car!
And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.”
Tesla’s Response and Future Implications
As of October 31, 2025, Tesla and CEO Elon Musk had not responded publicly to Altman’s post or the claims made therein. The company’s silence raises questions about how they plan to address similar issues with pre-reservation customers who have faced long delays.
This incident highlights the challenges of managing high-end pre-order systems in an industry prone to significant development and production delays, especially when dealing with cutting-edge technology like electric vehicles that require substantial R&D investments.
