Overview
- Sam Altman testified that Elon Musk’s exit from OpenAI lifted staff morale and said Musk sought long-term control of the lab, citing an early exchange where Musk floated passing it to his children.
- OpenAI argued that Musk pushed for a for‑profit structure and sued only after failing to gain control, while Altman said Musk used pressure tactics and tried to recruit OpenAI researchers after founding xAI.
- Elon Musk’s suit asks the court to return OpenAI to a nonprofit, remove Altman and Greg Brockman from the board, and shift more than $130 billion back to the nonprofit entity.
- Former leaders described doubts about Altman’s honesty and management, with ex-CTO Mira Murati saying he “created chaos,” Ilya Sutskever recounting months gathering evidence before Altman’s brief 2023 ouster, and Brockman alleging Musk threatened him in 2017.
- Microsoft is a co-defendant, and its ties to OpenAI drew scrutiny in testimony, with closing arguments expected this week before jurors begin deliberations in Oakland federal court.