Elon Musk and Sam Altman Make Wired’s List of the Most Dangerous People on the Internet

Every year, Wired magazine compiles a list of individuals and groups whose actions online have destabilized the world. In 2023, the list was topped by Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also made the top 10.

Why Elon Musk Was Included

Musk was featured on the list due to his sweeping reforms at X, including reinstating accounts of well-known conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and allowing antisemitic statements on the platform. He was also criticized for launching the Grok chatbot, which bypasses censorship, and for an SEC investigation into his comments about chimpanzee deaths during Neuralink experiments. Additionally, Musk faced scrutiny over a Tesla recall in the U.S. to fix autopilot issues.

Other Notable Entries in the Top 10

1. Cl0p Group: Ranked second, this ransomware group resumed its activities in 2023, making it one of the worst years in history for ransomware payouts.
2. Alphv (Black Cat): In third place, this group attacked MGM Resorts International in September, shutting down computer systems across its hotels and casinos and earning $100 million. The FBI reports that Alphv has compromised over a thousand organizations and collected more than $300 million in ransom. In December, the group announced it would no longer avoid targeting critical infrastructure. No members have been arrested or even charged.
3. Sandworm: Ranked fifth, this group is linked to Russia and is blamed for cyberattacks causing power outages and espionage.
4. Volt Typhoon: Chinese hackers who, in May, were found to have installed malware in power grids across the continental U.S. and Guam, aiming to control electricity flow to military bases.
5. Sam Altman: The OpenAI CEO, whose company developed popular AI tools like DALL-E and ChatGPT, was ranked eighth. Journalists note that Altman leads the race to develop revolutionary technology. Despite his previous advocacy for AI regulation, his leadership has drawn scrutiny, especially after his brief ousting from OpenAI.
6. Predatory Sparrow: Rounding out the list, this hacktivist group, allegedly linked to Israel by the Iranian government, carried out a major cyberattack in 2022 on several Iranian companies, including a steel plant. In 2023, they reportedly disabled up to 70% of gas stations across Iran in a second large-scale attack.