Elon Musk was cross-examined on the third day of the trial concerning his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI. During the intense testimony, Musk claimed that an OpenAI lawyer attempted to deceive him. The focus of the trial is Muskās allegation that OpenAI shifted away from its original non-profit mission toward a for-profit model, misleading him as a co-founder.
OpenAI lawyer attempted to deceive Musk during testimony
On his second day on the stand, Musk appeared combative under questioning by OpenAIās lawyer, William Savitt. Musk accused Savitt of asking overly complicated questions designed to trick him. At one point, Musk said, “Your questions are not simple. They’re designed to trick me essentially.”
Musk is suing Altman, OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman, and Microsoft, which has invested heavily in OpenAI. He alleges breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment, seeking billions of dollars in what his lawyers call “wrongful gains.” Musk wants these funds to support OpenAIās non-profit arm and calls for a shake-up at the company, including the removal of Altman.
Background of the lawsuit and Muskās position
Musk acknowledged that he initially intended to have control over OpenAI but expected that control to shift as more investors joined. He emphasized that he chose to create OpenAI as a non-profit for the public good, despite having experience founding for-profit companies. Musk stated he wanted to ensure the company was headed in the right direction early on because he was providing most of the capital.
OpenAI counters that Muskās lawsuit is motivated by jealousy and regret over leaving the company in 2018. The company also accuses Musk, who now leads xAI, of trying to undermine a key competitor in the AI race. OpenAI highlights that Musk launched xAI as a for-profit company a year after OpenAI released ChatGPT.
Key points from the courtroom exchanges
- Musk criticized OpenAIās move to create a commercial arm in 2019, years before ChatGPTās release.
- OpenAI argues Musk understood and accepted the commercial shift and left after failing to gain control.
- Musk donated $38 million to OpenAIās non-profit, which the company says was used as intended.
- Lawyer Savitt accused Musk of using his investment to bully other founders and attempting to merge OpenAI with Tesla.
- Musk described the lawsuit as a defense of charitable integrity, stating, “It’s not okay to steal a charity… If it’s okay to loot a charity, the entire foundation of charitable giving will be destroyed.”
The trial is expected to last several weeks and could have significant implications for the AI industry. Altman is also expected to testify during the proceedings.