Elon Musk Sued For $150 Billion And Wanted Altman Removed. The Jury Said He Filed Too Late. The Merits Were Never Heard. And Musk Is Already Appealing.
According to The Hill, a California federal jury unanimously rejected Elon Musk’s claims against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman on Monday, ending the latest chapter in a nearly decade-long feud between the two technologists. The advisory verdict took less than two hours after three weeks of testimony from Musk, Altman, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
The nine-member jury found that Elon Musk was beyond the statute of limitations when he launched his case in 2024. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers agreed, tossing all claims. The court never addressed whether Musk’s allegation of “breach of charitable trust” was valid; only that it was filed too late.
Elon Musk had sought $150 billion in damages, the removal of Altman and Brockman from their roles, and the unwinding of OpenAI’s conversion to a for-profit company. The jury found he had been aware of OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit structure as far back as 2021; three years before he sued.
OpenAI’s lead attorney William Savitt told reporters: “It says you brought your claims too late, and you did it because you were sitting on them to use them as a weapon of a competitor who can’t compete in the marketplace.” Musk attacked the judge in an online post, calling the verdict a “calendar technicality” and pledging to appeal.
The verdict is a significant victory for OpenAI as it plans an IPO in late 2026. OpenAI is currently valued at approximately $852 billion. Musk’s lawyers confirmed an appeal is coming. The merits of the case; whether OpenAI’s founders stole a charity remain unheard.
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