Source: The Guardian

The dispute centers on Elon Musk’s 2024 lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, which alleges Altman breached OpenAI’s founding agreement by restructuring the nonprofit and converting much of its operations to for-profit affiliates. Musk claims he provided about $38m to the nonprofit on the understanding it would operate for the public benefit, and now seeks remedies including the removal of Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman and more than $134bn in damages that he says should be redistributed to the nonprofit arm. OpenAI and Altman counter that Musk agreed in 2017 that a for-profit entity would be necessary, that Musk’s contribution was a tax-deductible donation rather than an investment, and that Musk is motivated by jealousy and regret.

Jury selection starts on Monday at a federal courthouse in Oakland, with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers presiding and the trial expected to last two to three weeks. Court filings include emails, texts and diary entries; both sides have published internal correspondence and the case will feature depositions that reveal personal details and animosities. Musk is represented by Marc Toberoff and Altman/OpenAI by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; a nine-person jury will hear breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims. The litigation’s stakes include OpenAI’s plans to go public at about a $1tn valuation, likely witness testimony from key figures including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and extensive public-relations sparring such as OpenAI’s dedicated webpage titled “The truth about Elon Musk and OpenAI.”