Elon Musk Podcast Musk Worried. xAI Just Lost Another Co-Founder
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Feb 10, 2026 They unpack a string of high-profile departures at a major AI company and why top talent is walking away. They outline the technical loss from a theorem-proving expert leaving and trace where former founders landed. They walk through a complex SpaceX–AI merger, share-conversion timing, and plans for solar-powered orbital data centers.
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Tony Wu's Exit And Next Move
- Tony Wu resigned from XAI after contributing deep work on mathematical reasoning systems and thanked Elon Musk in his departure post.
- He hinted at launching a small team that can 'move mountains' using AIs, suggesting he's leaving to start something new.
Rapid Founder Attrition At XAI
- XAI has lost five of its original 12 co-founders within three years, including hires who moved to competitors or started new ventures.
- Each departure removed unique technical expertise like theorem proving and product knowledge, weakening the founding team's original chemistry.
Founder Density Was XAI's Strategic Asset
- XAI launched with 12 co-founders to pack talent density and chemistry from top AI labs to compete broadly.
- Losing nearly half that founding core erodes the original vision and execution capability those founders brought in.