Musk v. Altman week 3: Musk and Altman traded blows over each other’s credibility. Now the jury will pick a side.
The Musk v. Altman trial concluded with lawyers exchanging barbs over the credibility of both Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as both sides presented their closing arguments. The jury will now deliver an advisory verdict, which is not binding on the judge, who will make the final decision.
The highly anticipated trial between Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman concluded with a fierce debate over the credibility of both individuals. Lawyers for both sides presented their closing arguments, attacking each other's character and motivations. Altman was grilled on alleged past lies and self-dealings, while Musk was painted as a power-seeker aiming to control artificial general intelligence (AGI).
OpenAI's lawyer, Sarah Eddy, argued that Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman never promised to maintain OpenAI as a nonprofit. She contended that Musk's lawsuit was filed too late and was an attempt to sabotage a competitor to his own AI company, xAI. Eddy highlighted that the nonprofit still controls the for-profit entity and is dedicated to responsible AGI development.
Conversely, Musk's lawyer, Steven Molo, asserted that Altman and Brockman broke their promise to uphold OpenAI's nonprofit mission, instead creating a for-profit subsidiary that enriched them. Molo pressed Altman on his alleged history of dishonesty and conflicts of interest, including investments in companies doing business with OpenAI.
Musk is seeking to reverse OpenAI's 2025 restructuring, remove Altman and Brockman, and claim substantial damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, to be awarded to OpenAI's nonprofit. The jury will soon deliver an advisory verdict, but the final decision rests with the judge. The outcome could significantly impact OpenAI's potential IPO and xAI's market position.
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