Musk alleges OpenAI misused his $38 million donation by shifting from a charitable to for-profit model after assurances.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified in Elon Musk’s lawsuit over a $38 million donation, which Musk claims was given under the premise of a charitable mission. Musk argues OpenAI later betrayed this agreement by restructuring as a for-profit entity, a shift he says he opposed. OpenAI counters that Musk was aware of the for-profit plans but sought control of the organization himself.
The trial has featured testimony from current and former OpenAI executives, including former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who accused Altman of a “consistent pattern of lying.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified that Musk never raised concerns about Microsoft’s investments in OpenAI violating any terms. Musk described OpenAI as his original concept, alleging executives diverted from his vision.
No immediate market reaction was reported, though the case highlights governance disputes in high-profile tech ventures.