OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifies in Elon Musk’s trial, denying he ‘stole a charity’

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the stand in a civil lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, who alleges that Altman and President Greg Brockman betrayed the organization’s nonprofit roots. Musk claims the duo turned a charitable AI lab into a profit-driven entity through its partnership with Microsoft, effectively looting its mission. In his defense, Altman argued that the structural shift was a necessary adaptation to meet the massive capital demands of modern AI development, maintaining that he remains committed to the original mission.

Altman also offered a counter-narrative, testifying that Musk previously sought greater control over the organization, including proposals to merge it with Tesla or pass control to his own family. The trial highlights the tension surrounding hybrid nonprofit and for-profit structures in the tech industry. As competitors like Anthropic and Musk’s own xAI navigate similar paths toward potential IPOs, the court’s ruling may set a significant precedent for how mission-driven companies balance investor interests with public goals.

(Source：Crypto Briefing)