Jury tosses Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, citing statute of limitations
After nine hours of deliberation, the nine-person jury in Oakland unanimously decided to reject Elon Musk’s lawsuit on Monday, May 18.
The decision marks the end of a three-week trial that featured testimony from Musk, Altman, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Musk’s lawsuit aimed at accusing Altman and OpenAI of “stealing a charity” by shifting ChatGPT-maker from a non-profit company after Musk donated around $38 million to the original venture.
According to the article, Musk claimed that Altman had betrayed him because he took his money yet intended to run away from the primary purpose of OpenAI, creating AI for the good of mankind.
The jury found out that Musk had already known about the breach since 2021, which means three years prior to the filing of the case in the summer of 2024.
During the trial, Musk testified: “It’s actually very simple. It’s not OK to steal from a charity.”
However, when Altman testified, he told a completely different story. He claimed Musk not only supported the idea of OpenAI becoming for-profit but also wanted to take over it.
Altman testified that when asked what would happen to Musk’s control after his death, Musk suggested that it “should pass to my children.”
Outside the courthouse, OpenAI’s spokesman Sam Singer called the verdict a “tremendous victory,” adding the lawsuit was “nothing but an effort by Mr Musk to slow down a competitor.” Musk plans to appeal.
