Trending Now - Brockman's Journal Becomes Key Evidence in Musk-altman Legal Battle
WHO:
Wall Street Journal - Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI, is involved in the Musk v. Altman trial.
Vox - Elon Musk and Sam Altman are key figures in the legal battle.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Musk accused Altman and Brockman of deceiving him by founding OpenAI as a non-profit and then converting it to a for-profit company without his consent.
The Guardian - Musk's complaint, filed in August 2024, describes his case against Altman and OpenAI as a "textbook tale of altruism versus greed."
The Guardian - OpenAI's lawyer William Savitt claimed Musk's allegations stem from jealousy, stating, "since [Musk] couldn’t control OpenAI, he left it. He left it for dead."
The Guardian - The trial is expected to conclude in the coming week after jurors hear from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and former OpenAI employee Ilya Sutskever.
Business Insider - Musk told the jury that he donated millions to OpenAI because artificial intelligence, in the wrong hands, could lead to a "Terminator" scenario in which "AI kills us all."
Business Insider - Musk stated that he helped fund OpenAI to provide a counterbalance to Google, which he believed "did not seem to care about AI safety at that time."
Business Insider - Brockman testified that Musk referred to Google as the "wolves" and AI safety advocates as "the sheep" who would become irrelevant unless they became wolves themselves.
Techmeme - Brockman’s journal has been described as a "star witness" in the Musk v. Altman trial.
Vox - Brockman questioned in his diary, “So, what’s a guy got to do to become a billionaire around here?”
Wall Street Journal - Brockman's journal has become a significant piece of evidence in the trial.
Vox - Brockman wrote in his diary about financial aspirations, questioning, “Financially, what will take me to $1B?”
Wired - Microsoft executives expressed reservations about funding OpenAI in 2018 but were concerned that not supporting it could lead OpenAI to partner with Amazon.
WHEN:
Wall Street Journal - Brockman stated he stopped writing about OpenAI in his journal in 2023.
Vox - Brockman co-founded OpenAI as a charity in 2015.
WHY:
Wired - Microsoft executives were skeptical of OpenAI but were concerned that not funding it could lead to OpenAI partnering with Amazon.
Wired - Microsoft executives were wary of pushing OpenAI into Amazon's arms, which motivated their decision-making regarding funding.
HOW:
Wall Street Journal - The journal was unsealed as trial evidence, highlighting Brockman's thoughts and decisions related to OpenAI.
(UPDATED May 10, 2026 01:28 UTC)
In a significant legal battle, Musk has accused Altman and Brockman of deceiving him by transforming OpenAI from a non-profit into a for-profit entity without his approval, describing the situation as a "textbook tale of altruism versus greed" in a complaint he filed in August 2024. OpenAI's lawyer, William Savitt, countered Musk's claims by suggesting they are rooted in jealousy, asserting that Musk abandoned the organization when he could no longer control it. The trial is set to wrap up in the coming week, with jurors expected to hear from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and former OpenAI employee Ilya Sutskever.
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(UPDATED May 9, 2026 19:16 UTC)
Musk testified in court that he donated millions to OpenAI because he believes artificial intelligence, if mishandled, could lead to a catastrophic "Terminator" scenario. He also expressed that his funding was intended to provide a counterbalance to Google, which he felt was neglecting AI safety at the time. Additionally, Brockman shared that Musk described Google as the "wolves" and AI safety advocates as "the sheep," warning that the latter would become irrelevant unless they adapted to become wolves themselves.
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(UPDATED May 9, 2026 13:20 UTC)
Brockman’s journal has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the ongoing Musk v. Altman trial, being referred to as a "star witness." In his diary, Brockman pondered, “So, what’s a guy got to do to become a billionaire around here?” Meanwhile, Microsoft executives expressed skepticism about OpenAI, fearing that not investing could result in OpenAI forming a partnership with Amazon.
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(UPDATED May 9, 2026 05:50 UTC)
In a high-profile legal battle involving Elon Musk and Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, the president of OpenAI, has emerged as a key figure, with his journal becoming a significant piece of evidence in the trial. The diary reveals Brockman's financial aspirations, including a notable question he posed about what it would take to reach one billion dollars, and it was unsealed as trial evidence, shedding light on his thoughts and decisions related to OpenAI. Interestingly, Microsoft executives had reservations about funding OpenAI back in 2018, fearing that a lack of support could push the organization into a partnership with Amazon.