During a recent trial involving Elon Musk and OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman testified that Musk abandoned the artificial intelligence nonprofit they co-founded in 2015, claiming it was “left for dead” as the company sought funding and direction. Musk is suing Altman and OpenAI’s president, Greg Brockman, alleging that they deviated from their commitment to maintain a nonprofit structure after he provided around $38 million to support its charitable mission. The trial has highlighted a series of contentious negotiations between Musk and OpenAI’s leadership regarding corporate structure and funding needs that ultimately led to Musk’s departure from the board in 2018. Following this, OpenAI transitioned to a public benefit corporation in 2025, a shift Musk is now attempting to reverse. Closing arguments are expected soon, with a jury set to deliberate next week.
OpenAI: OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company headquartered in San Francisco, operating as a for-profit public benefit corporation partially controlled by the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation to advance safe AGI benefiting humanity. It develops generative models like the GPT series, DALL-E for images, and Sora for video, with products including ChatGPT and advanced agents. In the ongoing Musk lawsuit, Sam Altman testified that Elon Musk abandoned the nonprofit after failed negotiations, prompting the shift to a for-profit structure.
Elon Musk: Elon Musk is the founder of xAI, focused on understanding the universe through AI, in addition to leading Tesla and SpaceX. He co-founded OpenAI in 2015 to promote safe AI but left the board in 2018 amid disagreements over funding and structure. As plaintiff in the federal trial against OpenAI leaders, Musk alleges they breached the nonprofit mission by prioritizing profits.
Sam Altman: Sam Altman is the CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, directing its evolution from a research lab to a leading AI deployment firm since 2019. He testified extensively in the Musk v. OpenAI trial, asserting that Musk deserted the startup and prioritized control over collaboration. Altman emphasized OpenAI’s need for massive funding, which Musk failed to provide.
Greg Brockman: Greg Brockman is the president, chairman, and co-founder of OpenAI, leading efforts in scaling AI infrastructure and product development. With a background in large-scale systems from Stripe, he helps steer the company’s technical direction. He is a defendant in Elon Musk’s lawsuit, accused alongside Altman of diverting nonprofit resources to commercial ends.
`json
{
“Trial Focus”: “The trial centers on Elon Musk’s claims that Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and OpenAI deviated from their original mission of maintaining the company as a nonprofit and misused donated funds.”,
“Negotiations Breakdown”: “Contentious negotiations between Elon Musk and OpenAI executives resulted in Musk leaving the board in early 2018, adding strain to the startup’s financial planning.”,
“Control and Corporate Structure”: “During the trial, Sam Altman testified that Musk sought significant control over OpenAI, which was a point of contention in their discussions about corporate structuring.”
}
`