Elon Musk and Sam Altman Face Trial Over OpenAI's Non-Profit to Profit Shift
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are engaged in a high-stakes legal trial over OpenAI's transformation from a non-profit to a for-profit entity. The case, which began on April 27, 2026, in California, seeks over $130 billion in damages from Altman and OpenAI for alleged betrayal of the company's founding mission. A US District Judge has warned both parties to avoid social media attacks during the trial.
Timelines
Sources
A US District Judge has cautioned Elon Musk and OpenAI leaders, including Sam Altman, to cease social media attacks amid their ongoing trial. The judge urged them to control public comments that could inflame tensions. Musk had previously criticized OpenAI's leadership on X. Both parties agreed to a fresh start, with the trial examining OpenAI's shift from its non-profit roots.
‘It’s not okay to steal a charity’: Musk testifies in trial over AI’s future The Washington Post
Musk lawyer says OpenAI ‘stole a charity,’ as trial against AI firm, Sam Altman begins The Straits Times
OpenAI’s Sam Altman ‘stole a charity’, Elon Musk claims as trial begins Financial Times
Trial is culmination of a years-long feud between Musk and Altman that has become increasingly vicious The trial pitting Elon Musk against Sam Altman and OpenAI began in earnest on Tuesday with opening arguments, as lawyers for the two tech moguls seek to convince a California jury of their client’s version of the AI company’s history. The trial is set to feature testimony from both billionaires, as well as some of the most powerful executives in the tech industry. Musk argues that Altman, OpenAI and its president Greg Brockman broke a foundational agreement to better humanity when the non-profit pivoted towards a for-profit structure. Musk, who left OpenAI in 2018 after co-founding it with Altman and Brockman three years earlier, also alleges that his co-founders unjustly enriched themselves as the company raised billions of dollars and grew into the AI behemoth it is today. Continue reading...
Musk and Altman show up for opening statements in trial that could reshape AI's future The Washington Post
Musk and Altman show up for opening statements in trial that could reshape AI’s future AP News
A trial that could help shape the future of artificial intelligence begins today, with billionaires Elon Musk and Sam Altman at odds over the evolution of ChatGPT maker OpenAI from a non-profit to a profit-seeking juggernaut worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
OpenAI trial pitting Elon Musk against Sam Altman kicks off The Straits Times
Elon Musk trial against Sam Altman to reveal OpenAI power struggle, jury is seated Reuters
Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman head to court in high-stakes showdown over AI AP News
Two of Silicon Valley's best-known tech moguls, Elon Musk and Sam Altman, are to face each other in court, with the trial's jury selection getting underway this Monday. The lawsuit is brought by Musk, who accuses Altman of fraud and is seeking more than $130 billion in damages for "betraying" the AI startup's founding mission of being non-profit. Plus, labelling rules on honey jars are set to toughen from mid-June in France, taking a new EU indication of origin rule into account.