Overview
- Following Thursday’s closing arguments, a nine-person advisory jury begins deliberations Monday, and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will ultimately decide the case.
- A central question in the trial is trust in Sam Altman, with Musk’s lawyer pressing him on past statements to Congress about not holding OpenAI equity despite an indirect stake through a Y Combinator fund.
- OpenAI’s lawyers called the case hypocritical, arguing Musk once pushed to make OpenAI for‑profit under his control and saying his donations did not create a charitable trust and are now time‑barred.
- The judge signaled skepticism toward Musk’s position, calling the dispute “a gigantic irony,” as many observers say Musk faces an uphill legal path.
- The outcome could affect OpenAI’s governance and any IPO plans for a company reported at a $852 billion valuation, with Microsoft’s multibillion‑dollar backing and a broader industry debate over safety and transparency hanging over the case.