A federal jury unanimously dismissed all of Musk's claims against OpenAI, Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft on statute of limitations grounds — after less than two hours of deliberation. The merits were never decided: whether OpenAI breached its founding mission remains an open question, and Musk has announced an appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
Altman's testimony on May 12 inverted Musk's central claim: OpenAI didn't steal a charity — it built one. But his disclosure that Musk sought 90% equity raises the question the trial now turns on: was this ever about the mission, or always about control?
OpenAI President Greg Brockman concluded testimony in the ongoing trial with Elon Musk, disputing Musk's account of the startup's early years and revealing details about 2017 negotiations over OpenAI's for-profit restructuring. Brockman reportedly told the court he feared physical confrontation with Musk during their disputes.
OpenAI disclosed in a new court filing that Elon Musk attempted to reach a settlement just two days before their trial commenced last week, as testimony from Musk and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman produced contentious exchanges over the company's restructuring.
A structured essay on the OpenAI vs Musk dispute as a governance question: whether a mission-driven AI organization can change its structure, raise massive capital, partner with major technology companies, and still claim continuity with its original public-benefit purpose. The article argues that the case matters less as founder drama and more as a test of institutional design for the next era of AI.
OpenAI announced multiple C-suite changes including AGI deployment CEO Fidji Simo taking a leave of absence, CMO Kate Rouch stepping away for cancer recovery, and COO Brad Lightcap moving to a new 'special projects' role. President Greg Brockman is stepping in to fill leadership gaps.
