Sam Altman testified in court that Elon Musk repeatedly pushed for control of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company Musk co-founded in 2015 before stepping away from its board. Altman told the jury that Musk even suggested his children should inherit control of the organization, according to testimony in Musk's ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI.
Musk filed suit against OpenAI and Altman in March 2024, claiming the company abandoned its original nonprofit mission and became a for-profit operation aligned with Microsoft. He alleges the organization breached its founding charter by prioritizing commercial interests over advancing artificial general intelligence for humanity's benefit.
Altman's testimony details a pattern of Musk's attempts to consolidate power within OpenAI. The CEO's account suggests these control grabs occurred during the company's early years, before Musk departed the board in 2018. The dynamic paints a picture of internal tensions between Musk's vision for the company's governance and the direction Altman and other stakeholders preferred.
OpenAI has emerged as the dominant player in generative AI following the November 2022 launch of ChatGPT, which reached 100 million users faster than any software in history. The company's valuation has soared to over $150 billion, making it one of the most valuable private startups globally. Microsoft's integration with OpenAI's technology through its Copilot products has become central to its AI strategy.
Musk's lawsuit challenges the legitimacy of OpenAI's transformation from nonprofit to capped-profit hybrid, arguing it violates the original charter. Altman's testimony supporting Musk's hunger for control could complicate OpenAI's defense, though the company maintains it operated within its founding principles while adapting to commercial realities.