Elon Musk’s xAI Cofounder Quits: The Shocking Lessons from the Genius Billionaire That Could Change Everything You Think About Success
What happens when a tech visionary decides that building the future isn’t enough—and instead pivots to safeguarding it? Igor Babuschkin, the co-founder of xAI alongside none other than Elon Musk, just dropped a bombshell: he’s stepping away from the company they launched together to dive headfirst into AI safety research. Now, that’s a move that makes you wonder—how do you go from racing to create cutting-edge AI at “ludicrous speed” to putting the brakes on for safety? Babuschkin’s parting words offer a peek behind the curtain of working beside Musk, filled with lessons about fearlessness and urgency that any entrepreneur will appreciate. But more than that, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the boldest next step is the one that aims to keep the bold future intact. Curious about what’s next for this AI pioneer and the inner workings of xAI’s breakneck journey? LEARN MORE.
Igor Babuschkin announced this week that he is leaving the company he helped cofound with Elon Musk to start his own company focused on AI safety research.
Babuschkin posted the news on X, which is owned by xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company.
“Today was my last day at xAI, the company that I helped start with Elon Musk in 2023,” he wrote. “I still remember the day I first met Elon. We talked for hours about AI and what the future might hold.”
Related: ‘My Startup Roots Have Begun Tugging on Me’: A Big Tech CEO Just Quit to Be an Entrepreneur Again
Igor Babuschkin, co-founder of xAI, during the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, US, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg | Getty Images
Babuschkin wrote that “through blood, sweat, and tears,” they “shipped frontier models faster than any company in history,” and during the process, he earned two “priceless” lessons from Musk.
1. Be fearless
“Be fearless in rolling up your sleeves to personally dig into technical problems,” he wrote. Babuschkin noted that Musk personally worked with the team, flying to a data center and staying all night until the issues were fixed.
2. Have a “maniacal” sense of urgency
“xAI executes at ludicrous speed,” he wrote. “Industry veterans told us that building the Memphis supercluster in 120 days would be impossible. But we believed we could do the impossible.”
Today was my last day at xAI, the company that I helped start with Elon Musk in 2023. I still remember the day I first met Elon, we talked for hours about AI and what the future might hold. We both felt that a new AI company with a different kind of mission was needed.
Building…
— Igor Babuschkin (@ibab) August 13, 2025
Musk replied to his post, offering thanks: “Thanks for helping build xAI! We wouldn’t be here without you.”
Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Igor Babuschkin announced this week that he is leaving the company he helped cofound with Elon Musk to start his own company focused on AI safety research.
Babuschkin posted the news on X, which is owned by xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company.
“Today was my last day at xAI, the company that I helped start with Elon Musk in 2023,” he wrote. “I still remember the day I first met Elon. We talked for hours about AI and what the future might hold.”
The rest of this article is locked.
Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.
Post Comment