Sam Altman testifies in Oakland trial over Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI

Tuesday, May 12, 2026Technology & SocietyWell-covered3 frames

Sam Altman testified in federal court in Oakland, California, during the third week of the trial over Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI.
Musk’s lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and its leaders moved away from the organization’s original nonprofit mission by shifting toward a for-profit or commercial structure.
Altman testified that Musk had supported OpenAI becoming a for-profit business, disputing Musk’s claim that the company’s commercial shift was a betrayal of its founding purpose.
Altman said Musk sought greater control over OpenAI in its early years, including asking for a dominant stake or other forms of control.
Altman told the court that Musk at one point said control of OpenAI could pass to his children, which Altman presented as evidence that Musk wanted long-term control of the company.
The trial also involves scrutiny of Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI, with testimony from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the company’s investment and role as a major backer.
What remains unresolved is whether the court will accept Musk’s argument that OpenAI’s restructuring violated its founding commitments or OpenAI’s argument that the shift was consistent with plans discussed early on.

How left and right are reading this

Both agree: OpenAI’s shift toward a commercial structure is being tested not just as a business decision but as a question of whether the organization remained faithful to the commitments and governance terms that underwrote its original mission.
They split on: Whether the story is mainly about public accountability when a mission-driven institution commercializes, or about procedural legitimacy and who had the right to shape OpenAI’s governance under plans discussed from the start.

Sam Altman testified in federal court in Oakland, California, during the third week of the trial over Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI.
Musk’s lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and its leaders moved away from the organization’s original nonprofit mission by shifting toward a for-profit or commercial structure.
Altman testified that Musk had supported OpenAI becoming a for-profit business, disputing Musk’s claim that the company’s commercial shift was a betrayal of its founding purpose.
Altman said Musk sought greater control over OpenAI in its early years, including asking for a dominant stake or other forms of control.
Altman told the court that Musk at one point said control of OpenAI could pass to his children, which Altman presented as evidence that Musk wanted long-term control of the company.
The trial also involves scrutiny of Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI, with testimony from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the company’s investment and role as a major backer.
What remains unresolved is whether the court will accept Musk’s argument that OpenAI’s restructuring violated its founding commitments or OpenAI’s argument that the shift was consistent with plans discussed early on.