The courtroom fight between Elon Musk and OpenAI moved closer to a jury trial in Oakland on Monday, with the dispute threatening to reshape who runs the AI company and how it is ultimately organized. In parallel filings, Musk has pressed for leadership changes — including efforts to strip OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Greg Brockman of their roles — while OpenAI has framed the case as a competitive attack tied to Musk's push to build xAI.
Reuters reported the trial record includes internal papers and personal writings used to argue over whether OpenAI drifted from its original nonprofit purpose into a profit-first enterprise. Jury selection is set for Monday, with opening statements expected on Tuesday.
Elon Musks Bold Move Against OpenAI Leadership
Musk's requested remedies go beyond money, targeting OpenAI's chain of command and governance structure. His filing asks a judge to remove Sam Altman from the OpenAI nonprofit board and to push both Altman and Brockman out of officer roles at the for-profit entity.
The damages claim is also enormous, with one figure cited at $150 billion that would flow to OpenAI's charitable arm rather than to Musk personally. Earlier court papers described a separate ceiling of up to $134 billion.
Musk claims he supplied about $38 million after being told OpenAI would prioritize public benefit, not investor returns. He has also argued OpenAI should be forced back into a fully nonprofit model and ordered to give up what his lawyers describe as "ill-gotten gains," including benefits linked to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).
What Will This Trial Mean For AIs Future?
Internal material has entered public view, including a 2017 diary entry from Brockman that reads: "This is the only chance we have to get out from Elon," and, later, "Is he the ‘glorious leader' that I would pick?" Reuters said the disclosures offer a granular look at how AI executives thought about control, incentives, and strategy as OpenAI scaled.
OpenAI's attorneys say Musk is using the lawsuit to gain leverage and to bolster his rival lab, xAI, rather than to protect a mission statement. OpenAI called the case "nothing more than a harassment campaign that's driven by ego, jealousy and a desire to slow down a competitor."
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