Musk kicks off explosive OpenAI trial by slamming Altman, company for abandoning non-profit mission: ‘Not OK to steal a charity’

Event Overview

Musk kicks off explosive OpenAI trial by slamming Altman, company for abandoning non-profit mission: ‘Not OK to steal a charity’

Updated 4 days ago
The New York Times
New York Post
Washington Times
Wired
NBC News
6 articles6 sources
Multiple Perspectives

Elon Musk testified in a trial against OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, claiming that Altman betrayed the company's original non-profit mission by transforming it into a profit-driven entity. Musk accused Altman of greed and is seeking $150 billion in damages. OpenAI, valued at approximately $730 billion, disputes Musk's claims, asserting that he himself was a capitalist who left the organization. The trial is expected to last a month, with a nine-member jury seated to hear the case.

What This Means

The trial could reshape the governance of OpenAI and influence the future direction of artificial intelligence development, as Musk's claims challenge the company's current profit-driven model.

Original Reporting (6)
Elon Musk arriving at the Ronald V. Dellums U.S. Courthouse in Oakland Tuesday.
The New York Times4/28/2026

OpenAI Trial Starts With Two Very Different Tales of a Company’s Early Years

On the first day of testimony in a landmark trial between Elon Musk and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, two notably different tales were offered of how OpenAI evolved from a nonprofit artificial intelligence lab into one of the most influential tech companies in the world. In Mr. Musk’s telling, OpenAI’s shift was one of the.

Musk kicks off explosive OpenAI trial by slamming Altman, company for abandoning non-profit mission: ‘Not OK to steal a charity’
New York Post
New York Post
Lean Right
4/28/2026

Musk kicks off explosive OpenAI trial by slamming Altman, company for abandoning non-profit mission: ‘Not OK to steal a charity’

Elon Musk took the stand as the high-profile trial over the future of OpenAI kicked off on Tuesday — claiming that CEO Sam Altman took control of a group founded as a “charity” and improperly morphed it into a money-minting corporate juggernaut. “They’re going to make this case seem complicated but it’s actually very.

Elon Musk takes stand in trial vs. Sam Altman that could reshape AI's future
Washington Times4/28/2026

Elon Musk takes stand in trial vs. Sam Altman that could reshape AI's future

OAKLAND, Calif. — Elon Musk , the Tesla CEO, world’s richest man and OpenAI cofounder, took the stand Tuesday in a high-stakes trial revolving around a bitter feud with his former friend Sam Altman that could reshape the future development of artificial intelligence . His testimony at the Oakland, California, federal.

Elon Musk Testifies That He Started OpenAI to Prevent a ‘Terminator Outcome’
Wired
Wired
Lean Left
4/28/2026

Elon Musk Testifies That He Started OpenAI to Prevent a ‘Terminator Outcome’

Elon Musk and Sam Altman appeared in a federal courtroom together for the first time on Tuesday as they fight over OpenAI’s decade-long evolution and what it means for the company’s future. The trial in Musk’s lawsuit against Altman could result in financial damages and, more significantly, governance changes at.

Elon Musk testifies at OpenAI trial
NBC News
NBC News
Lean Left
4/28/2026

Elon Musk testifies at OpenAI trial

Elon Musk testified in a landmark trial between himself and OpenAI. Musk claims Altman, his onetime associate, had betrayed the altruistic principles the AI company they co-founded was built on.

Musk testifies at OpenAI trial it’s not OK to ‘loot a charity’
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Lean Left
4/28/2026

Musk testifies at OpenAI trial it’s not OK to ‘loot a charity’

Elon Musk has taken the stand at a high-stakes trial over the future of OpenAI, casting his lawsuit against the ChatGPT maker as a defence of charitable giving. The world’s richest person is suing OpenAI, its cofounder and chief executive officer, Sam Altman, and its president, Greg Brockman, and said on the stand on.