Trending Now - Sam Altman Defends Openai Amid Musk's Controversial Claims

WHO:

Wired - Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI.

NPR - Elon Musk is a co-founder of OpenAI and is now an adversary of Altman.

NPR - Greg Brockman is the president of OpenAI.

NPR - The trial involves the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and is overseen by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

WHAT:

Techmeme - Sam Altman has recently discussed launching an AI compute company that is majority-owned by OpenAI, similar to Stargate's original data center initiative.

CBS News Tech - Musk is suing Altman and OpenAI, claiming it flipped its original structure as a neutral nonprofit in favor of a for-profit business.

GeekWire - Microsoft’s CTO Kevin Scott publicly addressed a 2018 email cited by Musk's lawyers as evidence that Microsoft knew OpenAI was abandoning its nonprofit mission.

Techmeme - Microsoft executive Michael Wetter testified that Microsoft has spent over $100 billion on its partnership with OpenAI, including its original investments.

Wired - Altman testified that Musk "did try to kill" OpenAI and launched a competitor called xAI.

NPR - Musk's legal team is seeking to "disgorge" up to $150 billion to the nonprofit entity if the court finds Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft liable for Musk's claims of "breach of charitable trust" and "unjust enrichment."

NPR - Altman stated that Musk's departure from the board in 2018 was a morale boost for employees who did not like his "hardcore" approach.

Techmeme - Sam Altman has recently discussed launching an AI compute company that is majority-owned by OpenAI, similar to Stargate's original data center initiative.

NPR - Musk's legal team is seeking the unwinding of the for-profit entity and wants Altman and Brockman removed from their leadership roles, which could radically reshape OpenAI and potentially undercut its AI development efforts.

Wired - Altman described Musk's idea of passing OpenAI onto his children as "hair-raising."

NPR - Altman testified that Musk attempted to poach talent from OpenAI before leaving the board and was kept informed of OpenAI's decisions by Shivon Zilis, who is the mother of four of Musk's children.

NPR - Musk's legal team is seeking to "disgorge" up to $150 billion to the nonprofit entity if the court finds Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft liable for Musk's claims.

Wired - Musk’s lawyers questioned Altman over allegations of deception and his network of financial investments.

NPR - Altman testified that Musk attempted to kill OpenAI and launched a competitor called xAI.

NPR - Musk donated $38 million to OpenAI early on.

NPR - Altman stated that Musk was not a good fit for the company and that his departure from the board in 2018 was a morale boost for employees.

NPR - Musk accused Altman of "stealing a charity" by converting OpenAI into a for-profit entity.

NPR - Musk's legal team claims that Altman and Brockman, with Microsoft’s investments, abandoned OpenAI's original nonprofit mission.

NPR - Musk is seeking up to $150 billion in damages and the unwinding of the for-profit entity.

NPR - Closing arguments in the trial are scheduled for Thursday, with a decision possible next week.

WHERE:

NPR - The trial is taking place in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

WHEN:

NPR - Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday, with a decision from the advisory jury and judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers possible next week.

NPR - Closing arguments in the trial are scheduled for Thursday, with a decision from the advisory jury and judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers possible next week.

NPR - The trial is in its third week.

NPR - Closing arguments are set for Thursday, and a decision from the advisory jury and judge is possible next week.

WHY:

NPR - Musk's accusations stem from a belief that Altman and Brockman are profiting from OpenAI despite its original nonprofit mission.

NPR - Altman claims Musk is motivated by "sour grapes" and is attempting to damage a competitor.

HOW:

NPR - During cross-examination, Altman acknowledged that he has been called a liar by business associates, stating, "I have heard people say that."

NPR - During cross-examination, Altman acknowledged that he has heard people call him a liar, stating, "I have heard people say that."

NPR - OpenAI's legal team used text messages and emails to portray Musk as power-hungry and initially supportive of the for-profit plans, while Musk's lawyers argued that Altman and Brockman were intent on profiting from OpenAI.

NPR - OpenAI's legal team used once-private text messages and emails to portray Musk as power-hungry and initially supportive of the for-profit plans.

NPR - Musk's lawyers are using text messages and emails to argue that Musk was initially supportive of the for-profit plans.

NPR - Altman testified that Musk attempted to kill OpenAI and launched a competitor called xAI.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 23:19 UTC)

Sam Altman has recently revealed plans to launch an AI compute company that would be majority-owned by OpenAI, drawing parallels to Stargate's original data center initiative. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is suing Altman and OpenAI, alleging that the organization has shifted from its original nonprofit structure to a for-profit model. Closing arguments in this case are set for Thursday, with a potential decision from the advisory jury and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers expected next week.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 19:33 UTC)

Microsoft executive Michael Wetter testified that the company has invested over $100 billion in its partnership with OpenAI, which includes its initial investments. Closing arguments in the ongoing trial are set for Thursday, and a decision from the advisory jury and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers could come as early as next week. This high-stakes case continues to draw significant attention as it unfolds.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 17:41 UTC)

In a recent testimony, Altman revealed that Musk "did try to kill" OpenAI and subsequently launched a competing company called xAI. Musk's legal team is now pursuing a staggering $150 billion from the nonprofit if the court finds Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft liable for claims of "breach of charitable trust" and "unjust enrichment." During cross-examination, Altman admitted that he has faced accusations of dishonesty from business associates, saying, "I have heard people say that."

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 15:53 UTC)

Sam Altman has revealed plans to launch an AI compute company that would be majority-owned by OpenAI, drawing parallels to Stargate's original data center initiative. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's legal team is pushing to dissolve the for-profit entity and remove Altman and Brockman from their leadership roles, a move that could significantly alter OpenAI's structure and impact its AI development. During cross-examination, Altman admitted he has heard accusations of dishonesty directed at him, saying, "I have heard people say that."

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 13:42 UTC)

In a recent court case, Altman described Musk's idea of passing OpenAI onto his children as "hair-raising," while also testifying that Musk attempted to poach talent from the organization before leaving the board. Musk's legal team is seeking to recover up to $150 billion for the nonprofit entity if the court finds Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft liable for Musk's claims. OpenAI's legal team presented text messages and emails to depict Musk as power-hungry and initially supportive of for-profit plans, contrasting with Musk's lawyers who argued that Altman and Brockman were focused on profiting from OpenAI.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 04:18 UTC)

In a recent legal battle, Musk's lawyers questioned OpenAI CEO Sam Altman about allegations of deception and his financial investments, while Altman testified that Musk attempted to kill OpenAI and even launched a competitor called xAI. Altman also revealed that Musk's departure from the board in 2018 was a morale boost for employees, despite Musk's early donation of $38 million to OpenAI. OpenAI's legal team presented once-private text messages and emails to depict Musk as power-hungry and initially supportive of their for-profit plans.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 01:35 UTC)

In a high-stakes trial taking place in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Elon Musk is accusing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman of abandoning the organization's original nonprofit mission by converting it into a for-profit entity, seeking up to $150 billion in damages. Musk's legal team is presenting evidence, including text messages and emails, to argue that he was initially supportive of the for-profit plans, while Altman claims Musk's actions are driven by jealousy and a desire to undermine a competitor. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday, with a decision from the advisory jury and judge potentially coming as soon as next week.