A major legal dispute is taking place between Elon Musk and Sam Altman over the future and original mission of OpenAI. OpenAI is the company behind ChatGPT. The testimony, during court, in Oakland, California, Altman strongly denied Musk’s accusation. Musk accused OpenAI of betraying its original goal of serving humanity rather than making profits.
The conflict began after Musk filed a lawsuit in August 2024. Musk claimed that OpenAI’s leaders convinced him to donate around $38 million to help create a nonprofit organisation focused on developing artificial intelligence for public benefit. According to Musk, the company later abandoned that mission and transformed into a profit driven business. He is now seeking about $150 billion in damages and further wants Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman removed from leadership positions.
In response, Altman argued that Musk himself wanted control over OpenAI. Altman stated that Musk repeatedly pushed for a structure that would give him extremely large authority within the company. This authority included proposals for a 90% ownership stake, but Altman said he rejected those ideas because OpenAI was created to prevent one person from controlling advanced artificial intelligence technology.
Furthermore, Altman also rejected accusations that he and Brockman tried to “steal a charity.” He told the court that he could not agree with that description and insisted that OpenAI’s nonprofit side would continue benefiting as the company grows financially.
The trial has become one of the most important legal battles in the technology industry as its outcome could affect OpenAI’s future and possible public stock market launch, which may value the company at nearly $1 trillion.
The case has also revealed deeper tensions inside OpenAI. Former executives and board members disagreements, leadership concerns, and trust issues involving Altman. Additionally, OpenAI claimed Musk’s actions may partly be connected to competition with his own AI company, xAI.
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