MUSK VS ALTMAN
Musk got calendar-blocked
A California jury has thrown out Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, ruling that his claims were filed too late.
Musk had accused Altman of breaking OpenAI’s original non-profit mission after Musk donated $38m in the company’s early days.
He argued that OpenAI shifted towards a for-profit model after presenting itself as a charity focused on developing AI for the benefit of humanity.
The jury reached a unanimous decision after around two hours of deliberation.
Because it found that the legal deadline for Musk’s claims had passed, it did not need to rule on whether the claims themselves were valid.
In brief
The jury ruled Musk’s claims were too old to proceed.
Musk says he will appeal the decision.
OpenAI called the verdict a win and rejected Musk’s accusations.
He’s so plotting the sequel
Musk criticised the decision on X and said he plans to appeal. His lawyer also said the case is not over.
OpenAI, meanwhile, described the verdict as a major win and said the lawsuit was an attempt to slow down a competitor.
The trial included testimony from Musk, Altman, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Musk had also accused Microsoft of helping OpenAI move further towards a commercial model, but those claims were dismissed after the jury’s findings.
The case adds to the long-running tension between Musk and Altman, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 before Musk left in 2018 after disagreements over control of the company.
Musk wanted a moral reckoning. The court gave him Google Calendar. I might have giggled. - MG