Harsh Goenka praises Satya Nadella’s ‘masterclass’ response to Elon Musk’s OpenAI jibe
Harsh Goenka praised Satya Nadella for turning Elon Musk’s OpenAI jibe into a positive message on learning, innovation, and partnership, calling it a leadership “masterclass” that elevated the conversation.
ADVERTISEMENT
Industrialist Harsh Goenka has lauded Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for what he called a “masterclass” in leadership communication, after Nadella turned a pointed remark from Elon Musk into a celebration of innovation and collaboration.
The exchange began when Musk declared on X (formerly Twitter) that “OpenAI is going to eat Microsoft alive.” Nadella, rather than returning fire, responded with a calm and optimistic note. He wrote, “People have been trying for 50 years and that’s the fun of it! Each day you learn something new, and innovate, partner, and compete. Excited for Grok 4 on Azure and looking forward to Grok 5.”
What a masterclass from Satya Nadella- turning Elon’s jab into a celebration of learning, innovation, and partnership. A reminder that the reaction of a mature leader should be to elevate the conversation. ???????? pic.twitter.com/8eyK9p4eh9
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) August 8, 2025
Goenka, Chairman of RPG Group, highlighted Nadella’s response in a post on X, writing, “What a masterclass from Satya Nadella, turning Elon’s jab into a celebration of learning, innovation, and partnership. A reminder that the reaction of a mature leader should be to elevate the conversation.”
Business observers noted that Nadella’s reply not only defused a potential public sparring match but also reinforced Microsoft’s positioning as a company that thrives on competition while maintaining strategic partnerships including its high-profile relationship with OpenAI.
