TechCrunch·May 4, 2026

🚨Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI Hits a Snag Over Texts

Judge throws out key texts as evidence in the AI lawsuit

TL;DR

A day before trial, Elon Musk texted OpenAI's president, suggesting a settlement. The judge ruled these texts inadmissible, complicating Musk’s case against OpenAI.

Two days ahead of the scheduled trial, Elon Musk exchanged texts with OpenAI's president, proposing to settle the lawsuit. However, after a heated exchange where Musk threatened that he and another would be 'most hated men' if they insisted on proceeding, OpenAI submitted these texts as evidence. The judge ruled them inadmissible, complicating Musk’s case which aims to unwind OpenAI's for-profit structure and strip Microsoft of its licensing agreement. This ruling could significantly impact the trial's direction.

Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI Hits a Snag Over Texts

Key Points

1

Musk proposed settling the lawsuit via text two days before it began

2

OpenAI submitted texts as evidence after Musk's heated response

3

Judge ruled texts inadmissible due to their contentious nature

4

Musk's suit aims to unwind OpenAI’s for-profit structure and strip Microsoft of its licensing agreement

5

Trial continues despite ruling, with major implications for AI industry

Why It Matters

This ruling affects the legal strategy of both parties in a high-stakes lawsuit. For developers working on AI projects, it highlights the importance of communication records during legal disputes and underscores the complex interplay between tech giants.

Elon MuskOpenAIlawsuitjudicial-ruling

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

This ruling affects the legal strategy of both parties in a high-stakes lawsuit. For developers working on AI projects, it highlights the importance of communication records during legal disputes and underscores the complex interplay between tech giants.

What happened?

A day before trial, Elon Musk texted OpenAI's president, suggesting a settlement. The judge ruled these texts inadmissible, complicating Musk’s case against OpenAI.

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