Musk Accuses Altman’s Lawyer of Trickery in OpenAI Trial
Musk Accuses Altman’s Lawyer of Trickery in OpenAI Trial
Elon Musk testifies in a high-stakes OpenAI case, accusing Sam Altman’s lawyer of attempting to trap him during cross-examination as he seeks $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft.
Elon Musk told a nine-people jury in Oakland, California, that a lawyer for Sam Altman was trying to trick him during a tense cross-examination in a high-stakes trial. Musk's lawsuit accuses OpenAI and Microsoft of ditching their mission to build artificial intelligence for the public good, and he is seeking about $150 billion in damages, with any award earmarked for OpenAI’s charitable arm.
Across the courtroom, questions about tax benefits Musk says he gained from donating $38 million to OpenAI drew a sharp pushback from him. He described the questions as more than simply challenging, suggesting they were designed to trap him rather than illuminate the facts.
OpenAI's lawyer William Savitt told Musk that his questions were straightforward, urging him to respond in kind. Musk responded with the line: “Your questions are not simple. They’re designed to trick me,” as the jurors watched in a tense moment that underscored how personal this dispute has become for the tech mogul.
Musk has argued that a 2020 Microsoft deal was a potential “bait and switch” that could allow Microsoft to steer the direction of artificial general intelligence. He testified that he feared the partnership would enable outsized control over AI development, though he acknowledged his participation in OpenAI's early nonprofit mission.
The trial continues to center on OpenAI's evolution from nonprofit to a for-profit model and the implications for funding, governance, and AI's public-interest role. Other coverage has noted the dramatic courtroom showdown as a window into how tech power and philanthropy intersect at a pivotal moment for artificial intelligence.
