Final Blows in Musk-Altman Trial: Jury to Decide Who Lied About AI's Future
Breaking: Musk vs. Altman Trial Enters Jury Phase – Advisory Verdict Expected Next Week
The jury in the Musk v. Altman trial will begin deliberations Monday, after a dramatic final week in which lawyers for both sides attacked each other's credibility. An advisory verdict could arrive as soon as next week, though the final decision rests with the judge.
Elon Musk's legal team demanded the court unwind OpenAI's 2025 restructuring into a public benefit corporation, remove CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, and award up to $134 billion in damages to OpenAI's nonprofit arm. The sum would be paid by OpenAI and Microsoft.
Credibility on Trial: Accusations of Lying and Power Grabbing
Altman faced sharp questioning about his alleged history of self-dealing and lying to business partners. Musk's lawyer Steven Molo argued that Altman and Brockman broke their promise to use Musk's donated funds to keep OpenAI a nonprofit devoted to humanity's benefit. Instead, they created a lucrative for-profit subsidiary.
“They took his money and his vision, then turned OpenAI into a personal wealth machine,” Molo told the court, according to pool reports.
Altman fired back, painting Musk as a power-seeker who wanted to control artificial general intelligence (AGI). He recounted a 2017 discussion about a for-profit arm: when asked who would control the entity after Musk's death, Altman quoted Musk as saying, “Maybe the control of OpenAI should pass to my children.”
OpenAI's lawyer Sarah Eddy argued that no binding promise was ever made to keep OpenAI a nonprofit. “The mission remains — developing safe AGI — even if the structure evolved,” she said, adding that Musk's real motive was to sabotage rival xAI, which he launched in 2023.
As evidence of OpenAI's safety commitment, the defense displayed a golden trophy of a donkey's ass — awarded to an employee who was called a “jackass” for opposing Musk's push to rush AGI development.
Background: From Founding to Feud
OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit with Musk as a major donor and co-chair. He left in 2018, and the organization later created a for-profit subsidiary. Musk sued in early 2025, alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duty. The 2025 restructuring converted that subsidiary into a public benefit corporation, which Musk now wants reversed.
The trial has featured mugshot-style photos of both men projected side-by-side during closing arguments, symbolizing the bitter personal clash.
What This Means: Billions at Stake for AI's Corporate Future
If the judge rules for Musk, OpenAI's nearly $1 trillion IPO plans could collapse, reshaping the AI industry. Meanwhile, xAI is set to go public as part of Musk's SpaceX as early as June, at a target valuation of $1.75 trillion. A victory for Musk would also set a legal precedent for enforcing promises made by AI startups to remain nonprofit.
Investors and regulators are watching closely. The jury's advisory verdict, while non-binding, will likely influence the judge's final decision — and could determine which vision of AI development prevails.
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