Lawyers For Altman, Musk Spar As OpenAI Trial Closes

 

“OAKLAND, Calif. -- Attorneys for Elon Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman took turns painting the other's client as untrustworthy Thursday, wrapping a blockbuster trial with closing arguments that pegged the case's outcome to the credibility of the world's richest man and the leader of its most popular AI lab.

 

The statements closed out the third week of the case, which is litigating the past -- and potentially the future -- of the AI revolution and has featured some of Silicon Valley's most prominent voices.

 

"Five witnesses in this trial called him a liar under oath," Musk's lawyer, Steven Molo, said of OpenAI's Altman. The comment was part of a lengthy effort to impugn his credibility and leadership of the startup, as well as highlight Musk's allegation that OpenAI acted deceptively when it converted from a nonprofit entity into a for-profit business.

 

William Savitt, an attorney representing OpenAI, said Musk was aware of the plan to convert OpenAI from a nonprofit and soured on the idea when it was apparent that he wouldn't be able to have full control of the entity.

 

"OpenAI is what it is today despite his predictions of certain doom," he said. "To succeed in AI, it turns out, all Mr. Musk can do is come to court."

 

Altman defended himself and his leadership of OpenAI on Tuesday, disputing Musk's allegation that he and OpenAI had "stolen a charity" by converting a nonprofit entity that Musk supported financially into a for-profit venture.

 

"I'm very proud of the work that's been done," he said.

 

The trial, in an Oakland federal courtroom, has sought to untangle Musk's allegation that OpenAI and Altman manipulated him into thinking he was donating tens of millions of dollars to help launch a nonprofit to develop AI for the benefit of humanity, only to turn it into a for-profit venture.

 

Legal experts have described Musk as an underdog in the case, but the remedies Musk is pushing for make the case significant for OpenAI and its executives. Musk is seeking the removal of Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman from their leadership roles and damages worth more than $180 billion to be paid into an OpenAI foundation.

 

The case has gripped Silicon Valley with the glimpse it has offered into the lives of the new titans of the AI age. It comes at a pivotal moment for Musk, Altman and the AI boom. Musk is racing to hold an initial public offering for his rocket company, SpaceX, which merged with his AI startup that had lost ground in the race. OpenAI is also seeking a public listing, although it has lost momentum in its contest with rival Anthropic.

 

Musk's lawyers sought to highlight his concern about the impact the AI industry could have on the world. In testimony, he called himself a "fool" to back OpenAI.

 

OpenAI's lawyers tried to demonstrate that the conversion was necessary for the startup to be able to secure the funding required to improve its AI technology. Even with the conversion, OpenAI has a foundation that owns a sizable portion of its shares, OpenAI attorney Savitt said. Some estimates put its value at $200 billion.

 

"Has anyone heard of a bank robbery where the bank robbers entered the bank and put $200 billion into it?" he said.

 

The trial also revealed the existence of Brockman's personal diary, in which he confided his financial dreams. "Financially, what will take me to $1B?" read an entry that was entered as an exhibit in the case. In the trial, Altman and Brockman disclosed significant details about their financial holdings, including personal investments in companies with which OpenAI has completed deals.

 

Musk's attorney highlighted the wealth OpenAI has created for core executives, including Brockman, whose stake in OpenAI is now worth close to $30 billion.

 

"What could possibly be wrong with that?" he asked the jury. "A lot."

 

Other technorati witnesses included Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati and OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, as well as Shivon Zilis, a former OpenAI board member and mother to four of Musk's children.

 

When Zilis took the stand in court, she testified about her time as a board member and noted her distrust of OpenAI's founders because of perceived personal investing conflicts, circumstances in which Altman and Brockman held stakes in companies that did business with OpenAI. That theme came up repeatedly in the trial.

 

Zilis also faced questions about whether she "funneled" information to Musk from her position at OpenAI. An OpenAI executive accused Zilis of failing to disclose that Musk was the father of her twins while she was a director for the organization. Musk's team and Zilis have insisted that Zilis acted independently.

 

News Corp, owner of The Wall Street Journal, has a content-licensing partnership with OpenAI.” [1]

 

1. Lawyers For Altman, Musk Spar As OpenAI Trial Closes. Wells, Georgia.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 15 May 2026: A1.