The Verge·Apr 30, 2026

⚖️Musk vs Altman: OpenAI Trial Begins

Musk's antics make for a messy trial debut

TL;DR

In the first day of court proceedings between Elon Musk and Sam Altman over OpenAI, Musk dodged simple questions and annoyed everyone. The drama centers on Musk's $38M investment that helped create an $800B company.

The trial between Elon Musk and Sam Altman over OpenAI kicked off today with Musk refusing to answer straightforward yes or no questions during cross-examination, leading the judge to express frustration. This behavior is part of a larger narrative where Musk claims he was misled about his control in OpenAI, despite giving $38M in funding that helped create an $800B company. The trial highlights tensions between for-profit and non-profit models in AI development, impacting how tech leaders approach corporate governance and ethical responsibilities.

Musk vs Altman: OpenAI Trial Begins

Key Points

1

Musk testified but refused to answer yes or no questions directly, frustrating the judge and jury.

2

The court battle centers on Musk's $38 million investment that helped create an $800 billion for-profit entity from OpenAI.

3

In 2016, Musk had concerns about OpenAI as a non-profit but continued to fund it until his resignation in 2018.

4

Andrej Karpathy left OpenAI for Tesla in 2017, highlighting the movement of talent between companies.

5

Musk's behavior during cross-examination led the jury to feel annoyed and infuriated by his antics.

Why It Matters

This trial impacts how tech leaders approach funding and governance in AI development. If you're involved with startups or non-profits, Musk’s actions highlight the importance of clear agreements on control and ethical use of funds.

Elon MuskSam AltmanOpenAIcourt-casefunding

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

This trial impacts how tech leaders approach funding and governance in AI development. If you're involved with startups or non-profits, Musk’s actions highlight the importance of clear agreements on control and ethical use of funds.

What happened?

In the first day of court proceedings between Elon Musk and Sam Altman over OpenAI, Musk dodged simple questions and annoyed everyone. The drama centers on Musk's $38M investment that helped create an $800B company.

Comments

Subscribe to join the conversation...

Be the first to comment

Enjoyed this article?

Get it daily. 7am. Free. Reads in 5 minutes.