Musk v. Altman: Federal court rejects Telsa CEO’ claims against OpenAI, saying he filed his lawsuit too late
Publish Date: 2026-05-18 14:33:00
Source Domain: abc30.com
- A federal court in Oakland, California dismissed Elon Musk’s claims against OpenAI, Sam Altman, and its top executives, ruling that Musk waited too long to file his lawsuit, missing the deadline for the statute of limitations.
- Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, had accused the company and its leaders of abandoning their nonprofit mission and betraying their shared vision of developing artificial intelligence for humanity’s benefit.
- The jury, serving in an advisory role, deliberated for two hours before finding in favor of OpenAI. The judge accepted the jury’s verdict, dismissing Musk’s claims.
- The trial provided insight into the contentious relationship between Musk and Altman, both former allies, and the evolution of OpenAI, now a highly valued company.
- Altman and OpenAI argued that there was no promise to keep the company a nonprofit forever and that Musk’s lawsuit arose because he couldn’t have unilateral control over the growing AI developer.
- Musk sought damages for OpenAI’s charitable arm and Altman’s removal from the board, but his decision to stop funding the company contributed to a significant rift between the two.
- The trial included testimonies from Musk, Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and several others, shedding light on the underlying tensions and Musk’s frustration with OpenAI’s direction.
- OpenAI dismissed Musk’s lawsuit as an attempt to undercut its growth and support Musk’s own competing AI company, xAI.
