A jury concluded that Elon Musk's claims against Sam Altman and OpenAI were untimely, rejecting allegations of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment. The court, presided over by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, determined that Musk failed to file his lawsuit within the three-year statute of limitations.
Musk's claims stemmed from his belief that OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015, strayed from its original nonprofit mission in favor of profit-driven motives, particularly after its restructuring in 2025. He sought to recover up to $134 billion in alleged ill-gotten gains and remove Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman from their positions.
However, OpenAI's legal team argued that Musk's donations were unrestricted and that the restructuring was necessary to compete in the AI market. The trial featured testimonies from key figures, including Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
The verdict arrives as both Musk and Altman are gearing up for significant public market offerings, with OpenAI recently valued at over $850 billion and Musk's SpaceX reportedly valued at $1.25 trillion after merging with his AI venture, xAI