tech
Musk slams Altman trial verdict as a 'technicality,' vows to appeal
A jury in Oakland, California, ruled against Elon Musk in his dramatic court battle with Sam Altman and OpenAI.
TL;DR
- A federal jury in Oakland, California, ruled against Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman.
- The jury found that Musk's claims fell outside of a three-year statute of limitations, dismissing the case.
- Musk and his attorneys stated they would appeal the verdict to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, with Musk calling the decision a 'calendar technicality.'
- Musk had sued OpenAI, Altman, and Microsoft, alleging a breach of charitable trust and that they had enriched themselves by stealing a charity.
- OpenAI's lawyers argued that Musk's claims were brought too late and were intended as a competitive weapon, celebrating the decision as substantive.
- Musk sought to have OpenAI and Microsoft give up $180 billion in alleged ill-gotten gains, remove Altman and Greg Brockman from leadership, and unwind the company's for-profit restructuring.
- OpenAI's defense included that Musk's donations were unrestricted and that restructuring was necessary to compete, also highlighting Musk's past proposals for for-profit structures and his own competing AI ventures.
- The verdict comes as both Musk and Altman push their respective companies toward significant public market offerings.