Greg Brockman testifies in OpenAI trial over for-profit conversion
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 4
Greg Brockman testifies in OpenAI trial over for-profit conversion
16 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 4
The second week begins Monday, with Elon Musk seeking up to $180bn, removal of Brockman and Sam Altman, and reversal of OpenAI’s recent governance overhaul.
Musk says he was induced to donate $38m to a nonprofit before founders secretly pursued a for-profit structure, citing Brockman’s 2017 journal entry and 2017 incorporation papers.
Altman, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella, Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever are also expected to testify in a case that could reshape OpenAI and the wider AI industry.
With his own executives alleging deception, can Sam Altman be trusted to lead the future of AI?
Is Musk's lawsuit a crusade for AI safety or revenge after his own AI venture struggled?
Do private journals prove OpenAI’s founders planned a 'long con' against Elon Musk from the start?
Inside the Musk vs. OpenAI Trial: $38M Donation, $850B Valuation, and the Battle Over AI’s Future
Overview
The Musk vs. OpenAI trial centers on Elon Musk's 2015 founding of OpenAI as a nonprofit, his $38 million donation, and the organization's 2019 shift to a hybrid for-profit model driven by massive resource needs. Musk alleges this change, including a $13.8 billion Microsoft investment, betrayed the nonprofit mission and amounts to charity theft. After Musk left the board in 2018 and founded competing xAI in 2023, he filed the lawsuit challenging OpenAI's structure and leadership. The trial, focused on legal and contractual issues rather than AI risks, risks delaying OpenAI's $850 billion IPO and has divided public opinion, while drawing government attention due to AI's strategic importance.