Elon Musk vs OpenAI Trial: The $134 Billion AI Betrayal Case
The world’s richest man has walked into a courtroom ready for war. Jury selection began Monday in the high-stakes Elon Musk vs OpenAI trial, a legal clash that could reshape the future of artificial intelligence and settle a very bitter personal score.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside Sam Altman, claims he was sold a dream that the lab’s technology would “belong to the world.” He backed that dream with nearly $38 million of his own money. Today, that same organisation is valued at $852 billion, is backed by Microsoft, and is eyeing a stock market debut. Musk says he never signed up for that.
A Promise He Says Was Broken
At the core of the Elon Musk vs OpenAI trial is a 2017 email where Sam Altman assured Musk he remained “enthusiastic about the non-profit structure” of the venture. OpenAI quietly launched a commercial arm. Microsoft poured in billions, and the rest, as they say, is history now worth roughly $135 billion in stake value alone. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is expected on the witness stand.
Musk wants $134 billion in damages, Altman’s removal, and OpenAI’s full severance from Microsoft. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has already questioned how those figures were calculated, suggesting the numbers appeared invented. OpenAI, for its part, isn’t holding back calling the suit a “harassment campaign driven by ego, jealousy and a desire to slow down a competitor.”
The jury is expected to return a verdict by late May.
