Elon Musk Tells His Side of OpenAI's Beginnings in OpenAI Trial

The trial centers on the 2015 birth of the ChatGPT maker as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

Elon Musk Tells His Side of OpenAI's Beginnings in OpenAI Trial
Photo of Elon Musk arriving at the U.S. District Court in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, April 28, 2026, by Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP

OAKLAND, Calif., April 29, 2026 (AP) — Elon Musk took the stand for the second day Wednesday in the landmark trial that pits the world's richest person against Sam Altman, a fellow OpenAI co-founder he accuses of betraying promises to keep the company as a nonprofit dedicated to humanity's benefit.

The trial centers on the 2015 birth of the ChatGPT maker as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

Musk, who invested about $38 million in OpenAI from December 2015 through May 2017, gave his account of OpenAI’s early years, recounting how he lost confidence that Altman would keep it a nonprofit. Questioned by his lawyer Steven Molo, Musk said by late 2022 he was concerned Altman was trying to “steal the charity.”

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