Sam · MIT Technology Review
Musk argued he was trying to save OpenAI’s mission to develop AI safely by restoring the company to its original
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◎ Multiple-sources
During his direct examination early in the week, Musk painted himself as a longtime advocate of AI safety.
Key facts
- I gave them $38 million of free funding, which they then used to create what would become an $800 billion company,” he said
- The outcome of the trial could upend OpenAI’s race toward an IPO at a valuation approaching $1 trillion
- Microsoft would give $10 billion only if it expected “a big financial return,” he said
- According to Stanford’s 2026 AI Index, AI is sprinting, and they're struggling to keep up
Summary
In the first week of the landmark trial between Elon Musk and OpenAI, Musk took the stand in a crisp black suit and tie and argued that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and president Greg Brockman had deceived him into bankrolling the company. The federal courthouse in Oakland, California, was packed with armies of lawyers carrying boxes of exhibits, journalists typing away at their laptops, and a handful of concerned OpenAI employees. “I was a fool who provided them free funding to create a startup,” Musk told the jury. Musk is asking the court to remove Altman and Brockman from their roles and to unwind the restructuring that allowed OpenAI to operate a for-profit subsidiary. This week’s testimony revolved around a central question of the trial: why Musk is suing OpenAI.