Tesla founder and tech billionaire Elon Musk has called out Jeff Bezos for copying his steps after the Amazon founder backed an artificial intelligence (AI) startup called Project Prometheus for $6.2 billion, according to a social media post on the X platform.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is set to take a hands-on leadership role as co-CEO of artificial intelligence startup Project Prometheus. The move is set to be the first for Bezos to take on an operational role after stepping down as Amazon CEO in 2021, The New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the development.
Why is Musk calling Bezos a copycat?
This is not the first time that Elon Musk has called out Jeff Bezos for allegedly copying his moves. According to media reports, Musk made a similar remark earlier when Amazon’s Jeff Bezos revealed his plans to launch Internet-beam satellites to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.
Musk’s move also comes after Amazon acquired a self-driving startup called ‘Zoox’, indicating a move towards taking on electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla, one of the world’s leaders in self-driving vehicles.
The cases highlight how Musk has challenged Jeff Bezos over the years over his firm’s business decisions, or his firm’s versus his own businesses, which is also a potential reason for his recent comments about Bezos’ investment in an AI startup.
Elon Musk reacts to Bezos’ move
In a social media post dated November 18, 2025, Elon Musk seemed amused and called Jeff Bezos a copycat for backing the $6.2 billion AI startup Project Prometheus.
“Haha, no way,” Musk said in his post, adding the word “copy” followed by a cat emoji, highlighting his take on Bezos’ move.
What is Project Prometheus?
Jeff Bezos, along with former GoogleX CEO Vik Bajaj, plan to focus on the development of artificial intelligence that supports engineering and manufacturing in fields such as computers, aerospace and automobiles, Forbes reported Tuesday.
According to an agency report, Project Prometheus is in stealth mode. However, the startup focuses on the practical application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing and engineering across the IT, automotive and aerospace sectors.
Jeff Bezos’ recent take on artificial intelligence suggests he isn’t worried about a potential AI bubble emerging in the world, and still sees significant room for technological development to reshape everyday life.
According to a news portal report, startup Project Prometheus has received $6.2 billion in funding, including a portion from Jeff Bezos himself for future development in the global AI race.
