All of the updates from Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s battle over OpenAI

Sam Altman and Elon Musk are facing off in a high-stakes trial that could alter the future of OpenAI and its most well-known product, ChatGPT. In 2024, Musk filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its founding mission of developing AI to benefit humanity and shifting focus to boosting profits instead. After nearly a month, with the trial featuring testimony from Musk, Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman, former OpenAI board member and mother of several of Musk’s children Shivon Zilis, and a few others, the jury deliberated for a couple of hours before returning to the “ room full of untrustworthy, unreliable people all fighting with each other ” with a verdict, deciding to dismiss all charges due to the statute of limitations. Musk was a cofounder of OpenAI and claims that Altman and Brockman tricked him into giving the company money, only to turn their backs on their original goal. However, OpenAI claimed that “This lawsuit has always been a baseless and jealous bid to derail a competitor” in a bid to boost Musk’s own SpaceX / xAI / X companies that have launched Grok as a competitor to ChatGPT. In his lawsuit, Musk asked for the removal of Altman and Brockman, and for OpenAI to stop operating as a public benefit corporation. People to Know Plaintiff Elon Musk plaintiff, OpenAI cofounder and now CEO of rival xAI Steven Molo lead counsel for the plaintiff Jared Birchall manager of Musk’s family office Shivon Zilis former OpenAI board member who shares multiple children with Musk Defendant Sam Altman defendant, CEO of OpenAI William Savitt lead counsel for the defendant Greg Brockman president of OpenAI as well as a cofounder Ilya Sutskever former chief scientist at OpenAI and a cofounder Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers aka YGR, trial judge Here’s all the latest on the trial between Musk and Altman Musk v. Altman: Much ado about nothing Musk v. Altman proved that AI is led by the wrong people Elon Musk loses his case against Sam Altman The jury has delivered a unanimous verdict. An observer has just been ejected from the court by the US marshals. C. Paul Wazzan is the expert called by Musk to determine damages. Closing time “I told you in my opening statement you wouldn’t hear very much from Microsoft, and you haven’t.” “I feel like I’m going to miss you all,” Savitt tells the jury. Savitt calls out the fact that Musk is abroad with President Trump today. Savitt says Musk has “selective amnesia.” Behold, the Elon Musk jackass trophy Savitt is talking about the statute of limitations. Here’s the jackass trophy that the jury didn’t get to see. We are back from our break. William Savitt is taking it home for the OpenAI defense. Tesla AI is evidence of Musk’s failure, Eddy says. “The documents tell the truth here,” Eddy says. Eddy suggests that Musk’s donated Teslas were, effectively, bribes. Eddy is, wisely, leaning hard on chronology in explaining their defense. Sarah Eddy is giving the closing argument for OpenAI. Molo is done presenting Musk’s closing argument. For all of the very irritating testimony about “the blip,” Molo hasn’t convincingly connected it to his case. Molo is now attempting to make a case against Microsoft. During our break, the jurors were out of the room, and the lawyers were beefing again. We are back on the millions and billions of OpenAI equity that employees have interest in. This is kind of choppy. Molo is now suggesting that the “crown jewels” of OpenAI are its IP. Musk’s early money meant “a great, great deal,” Molo says. Inarguable! Molo calls Shivon Zilis, mother of Musk’s children, “the most even-keeled, even-tempered witness at the trial.” Ah we are back at the museum store funding the museum. Perhaps Mr. Molo is unfamiliar with xAI. Fair enough, Mr. Molo. I see why Molo is leaning on the spoken testimony. Molo is now calling out Altman’s testimony. Molo is suggesting that Greg Brockman’s conduct makes him untrustworthy. Molo has begun his closing statement for Elon Musk, who is in China. YGR is now reading aloud the instructions to the jury. The monitor has left the courtroom. We are now having a fight about a new, large monitor that has appeared on the Musk table. “They didn’t give us page numbers, your honor.” Musk left the country with President Trump despite a judge’s orders. Microsoft and OpenAI rest. In the most boring expert testimony yet, Louis Dudney, a forensic accountant, testified about how those funds were spent. The shade we are getting in here is incredible. The cross is focusing on Coates’ pay. John Coates, OpenAI’s expert witness, is running a demolition derby on Musk’s expert witness. Museum gift shop metaphor found dead in a ditch. We’re listening to an expert witness, David Hemel, a law professor at NYU. During Elon Musk’s all-hands Q&A before departing OpenAI, Achiam said he felt Musk wanted to “race towards AGI.” Achiam is running circles around this lawyer on cross, without doing the annoying things other witnesses have