Sam Altman Wins Big As Jury Rules Against Musk In OpenAI Trial
Sam Altman Wins Big As Jury Rules Against Musk In OpenAI Trial Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 23:56 IST Federal jury rules Elon
Sam Altman Wins Big As Jury Rules Against Musk In OpenAI Trial Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 23:56 IST Federal jury rules Elon Musk sued OpenAI too late, says his claims against Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, The OpenAI Foundation and Microsoft are time barred. Rapid Read Elon Musk (L) and Sam Altman (R). (Image: AFP) A US federal jury has ruled against Elon Musk in his high-profile legal battle with OpenAI, finding that the billionaire waited too long to file his lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company and its co-founders. The verdict, delivered in an Oakland federal court, marks a major victory for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and effectively ends one of Silicon Valley’s most closely watched courtroom disputes over the future and governance of AI. Jurors found that Musk’s claims against Altman, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, The OpenAI Foundation and Microsoft were barred by statutes of limitations — legal deadlines that determine how long a person has to bring a lawsuit.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who had sought the jury’s recommendation on the issue, accepted and confirmed the verdict. The ruling ends Musk’s challenge before the court could examine the substance of his allegations. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had argued that OpenAI abandoned its founding mission as a nonprofit focused on developing AI for humanity’s benefit and instead shifted toward a profit-driven model tied to major corporate investors. Musk claimed that a $38 million contribution he made to OpenAI was intended to support nonprofit AI research and alleged the company’s leadership later used the organisation’s transformation to enrich themselves commercially. Had Musk succeeded, he sought to force OpenAI to revert to its nonprofit structure — a move that could have disrupted the company’s growth plans and affected relationships with major investors including Microsoft, Amazon and SoftBank, which have invested billions in AI development.
The case drew significant attention due to the long-running tensions between Musk and OpenAI leadership. Musk co-founded OpenAI but left the company in 2018, later launching his own AI venture, xAI, which competes with OpenAI and other firms including Anthropic. During the three-week trial, lawyers for both sides exchanged sharp criticism. Musk’s legal team questioned Altman’s credibility and accused OpenAI of betraying its original mission, while OpenAI’s attorneys challenged Musk’s version of events and pointed to testimony from people close to him. The verdict also spares Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest private investor with around $13 billion committed, from claims that it aided alleged breaches linked to OpenAI’s transformation. While the ruling closes this lawsuit, the dispute highlighted broader debates around artificial intelligence — including whether organisations founded around public-interest research can remain aligned with those goals as AI becomes increasingly commercialised and competitive.
With inputs from AFP News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: May 18, 2026, 23:35 IST News world Sam Altman Wins Big As Jury Rules Against Musk In OpenAI Trial Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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