A federal jury in Oakland, California has ruled decisively in favor of OpenAI leaders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, dismissing Elon Musk’s claims of breach of trust and unjust enrichment. The verdict, delivered within two hours of the trial’s conclusion, found that Musk’s allegations were both legally insufficient and filed too late.
The jury rejected Musk’s accusations that Altman and Brockman violated a founding agreement by transitioning OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit entity. Musk had sought up to $134 billion in damages and demanded leadership changes at OpenAI, alleging the executives misled him about the organization’s original purpose. In response, OpenAI maintained that Musk was aware of plans to adopt a for-profit structure and claimed his lawsuit stemmed from disagreements over control following a failed takeover attempt in 2018.
The three-week trial featured testimony from prominent technology executives, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and exposed internal disputes within OpenAI’s leadership. The ruling is considered a major victory for Altman and OpenAI as the company prepares for a potential public offering later this year.
“The jury’s decision is a clear affirmation of our commitment to OpenAI’s mission,” stated an OpenAI spokesman. However, the verdict also revealed unflattering details about OpenAI’s internal operations and the contentious relationship between Musk and the company.
Elon Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit aimed at advancing artificial intelligence for humanity. He left the organization in 2018 after disagreements over its direction and has since been critical of its shift to a for-profit model, developing Grok as his own for-profit AI platform.
