Trending Now - Elon Musk's Testimony Highlights Tensions With Openai Leadership
WHO:
CNN - Elon Musk, CEO Sam Altman, President Greg Brockman, Microsoft, US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers
CNN - Musk's attorney Steven Molo, OpenAI's attorney William Savitt
WHAT:
ABC News - Musk accused OpenAI's attorney of asking misleading questions designed to trick him and the jury during his testimony.
ABC News - Musk stated, “It depends on how high the cap is,” in response to questions about profit caps.
CNN - Musk testified that he was fine with OpenAI having a for-profit subsidiary as long as it didn’t “overtake” the nonprofit.
CNN - Musk expressed that he “needed to make sure it would go in the right direction and I was providing almost all the money” regarding the proposed for-profit corporation.
CNN - Musk claimed that he “was a fool” for giving OpenAI free funding to create a startup.
CNN - Musk testified that he “lost trust in Altman” after OpenAI's valuation reached $20 billion following Microsoft's investment.
CNN - Musk stated that he believed OpenAI's leaders had “gone back on what they had previously agreed” regarding the company's structure.
CNN - Musk claimed that he would “no longer fund OpenAI until you make a firm commitment to stay nonprofit.”
CNN - Musk testified that he was concerned that “Microsoft has their own motivations” that diverge from OpenAI’s philanthropic aims.
CNN - Musk stated, “I don’t know, do you really want Microsoft controlling digital superintelligence?” during his testimony.
CNN - Musk testified that he was worried Google’s approach to AI wasn’t safe enough and that there needed to be “some sort of counterpoint” to Google.
CNN - Musk claimed that he “thought I had started a nonprofit with OpenAI but they stole it,” regarding his departure from the organization.
CNN - Musk will take the stand for a third-straight day on Thursday.
CNN - OpenAI is planning a potential IPO that could significantly increase its valuation.
CNN - Musk stated, “What you can’t have is the for-profit become the main event, and that’s what we have here.”
CNN - Musk testified, “I was a fool. I gave them free funding to create a startup.”
CNN - Musk expressed that he felt OpenAI's $20 billion valuation was a “bait and switch.”
ABC News - Musk accused OpenAI's attorney of asking misleading questions designed to trick him.
ABC News - Musk stated, “It depends on how high the cap is,” in response to questions about profit caps.
ABC News - Musk claimed, “I thought I had started a nonprofit with OpenAI but they stole it,” regarding his departure from the organization.
CNN - Musk is testifying in a trial regarding OpenAI's shift from a nonprofit to a for-profit organization.
CNN - Musk claims OpenAI betrayed its initial nonprofit mission and is seeking $130 billion in damages.
ABC News - Musk provided $38 million to OpenAI and stopped funding in 2020.
CNN - Musk directed his family office to register a for-profit public benefit corporation in OpenAI's name in 2017.
CNN - Musk stated he would "no longer fund OpenAI until you make a firm commitment to stay nonprofit."
CNN - OpenAI's valuation reached $20 billion following a $10 billion investment from Microsoft in 2022.
WHERE:
ABC News - The trial is taking place in federal court in Oakland, California.
WHEN:
ABC News - The trial is scheduled to continue through late May.
WHY:
CNN - Musk alleges that OpenAI's leaders misled him and strayed from the company's founding mission to benefit humanity.
CNN - OpenAI and Microsoft argue that Musk's lawsuit is an attempt to undermine their success and bolster his own AI company, xAI.
HOW:
Wired - Messages presented at trial revealed how Shivon Zilis acted as an intermediary between Musk and OpenAI.
CNN - Musk's attorney presented emails and communications as evidence to support Musk's claims against OpenAI.
CNN - Musk's testimony included references to internal emails and communications with OpenAI executives regarding the company's structure and funding.
CNN - Musk expressed concerns about Microsoft's motivations in relation to OpenAI's mission.
(UPDATED May 2, 2026 11:11 UTC)
In a recent testimony, Musk accused OpenAI's attorney of using misleading questions to trick him and the jury, while also expressing concerns about the company's direction and leadership. He stated that he would no longer fund OpenAI unless they made a firm commitment to remain a nonprofit, emphasizing his belief that the leaders had gone back on their previous agreements. Additionally, Musk revealed that he felt he had been misled regarding the nonprofit's structure, claiming, “I thought I had started a nonprofit with OpenAI but they stole it,” as messages presented at trial showed Shivon Zilis acting as an intermediary between him and the organization.
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(UPDATED May 1, 2026 23:13 UTC)
Musk will take the stand for a third consecutive day on Thursday, where he has expressed strong feelings about OpenAI's direction and valuation, calling it a “bait and switch.” During his testimony, he claimed, “I thought I had started a nonprofit with OpenAI but they stole it,” while his attorney presented emails and communications to back up these assertions. Musk also accused OpenAI's attorney of asking misleading questions, emphasizing that “what you can’t have is the for-profit become the main event.”
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(UPDATED May 1, 2026 16:59 UTC)
Elon Musk is currently testifying in a federal court in Oakland, California, regarding OpenAI's transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit organization, claiming that the company has betrayed its initial mission and is seeking $130 billion in damages. Musk, who provided $38 million to OpenAI before halting funding in 2020, directed his family office to register a for-profit public benefit corporation in OpenAI's name back in 2017 and has stated he would not resume funding until a commitment to remain nonprofit is made. The trial is set to continue through late May, with Musk alleging that OpenAI's leaders misled him, while OpenAI and Microsoft contend that his lawsuit aims to undermine their success and promote his own AI venture, xAI.