Battle of AI Titans: Elon Musk Calls Jeff Bezos a 'Copycat' After Amazon Founder Announces His Project Prometheus AI Startup

Jeff Bezos is back in the tech spotlight, this time with a massive $6.2 billion (approximately £4.7 billion) artificial intelligence venture. The former Amazon CEO has launched Project Prometheus, a well-funded AI start-up that marks his return to an executive role and signals a bold new chapter in his post-Amazon career.

But fellow tech billionaire Elon Musk does not appear thrilled about another player in the field of artificial intelligence. Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to call Bezos a 'copycat' after news broke about the launch of Bezos's new company, igniting fresh tension between the two moguls.

According to The New York Times, Project Prometheus has one of the most well-financed startups during its early stage. It serves as Bezos's comeback in a formal operational role after taking a backseat from leading Amazon in July 2021. His re-entry into the tech world has sparked widespread interest, not only for the scale of the investment but also for the potential implications across industries.

Bezos has yet to respond publicly to Musk's online jab and remains tight-lipped about further details regarding Project Prometheus, including his specific responsibilities within the company.

Facts About Project Prometheus

The Economic Times reported that the mission of Project Prometheus is aligned with Bezos's long-running interest in space exploration, which can be observed through his human spaceflight startup Blue Origin.

Little is known about the new AI startup, but Bezos will not be the only one to handle the company's operations. He will be joined by Vik Bajaj, founder of Verily, a research lab that is dedicated to life sciences. It is operated by Alphabet, Google's parent company. Bajaj is also the co-founder and CEO of Foresite Labs, a venture that aims to incubate new data science and AI startups. He has now left that post to become co-CEO alongside Bezos.

Project Prometheus will join other AI companies that aim to utilise AI technology in handling physical tasks, such as drug design, robotics, and scientific exploration. According to its LinkedIn profile, the company was founded in November 2025 and operates out of San Francisco, London, and Zurich.

It has already recruited 100 employees, many of whom previously worked at other AI enterprises like OpenAI, Meta and DeepMind.

Bezos vs Musk: Battle of the Wealthiest CEOs

Bezos's entry into the AI space intensifies an already fierce rivalry with Musk. Currently the world's third-richest man, Bezos is reportedly exploring AI applications in automotive and aerospace engineering.

Musk, who holds the top spot on the global wealth list, has his own AI venture, xAI. It shares similar goals, adding fuel to the competitive fire between him and the former Amazon CEO.

Their competition spans multiple industries. Bezos owns the long-running newspaper publication, The Washington Post, while Musk controls X, which he acquired in 2022. In the electric vehicle market, Musk leads Tesla, whereas Bezos backs a lesser-known EV manufacturer called Slate Auto. And in the race to space, Musk has SpaceX while Bezos has Blue Origin.

With Bezos now in the AI arena, his presence could help accelerate the full potential of artificial intelligence to help humans in everyday tasks, though not without drawing fire from his most vocal rival.