On April 30, at a federal court in Oakland, California, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman formally entered the trial phase of a lawsuit filed by billionaire Elon Musk. Musk accuses Altman and OpenAI Chairman Greg Brockman of 'stealing a charity' by shifting the organization from a non-profit to a for-profit model in 2019.
In testimony before the jury, Altman flatly dismissed the claim. 'I think looking at what actually happened here doesn’t match the concept of stealing a charity,' he said. Altman asserted that Musk was fully aware of the conversion plan when he invested $38 billion, and even demanded absolute control.
Altman revealed: 'An initial number Mr. Musk put forward was that he should own 90% of the equity at the start. After that, the demand softened somewhat but always remained a majority.' This statement aimed to counter Musk’s allegation that he was tricked into investing based on promises of benefiting humanity.
The trial, which has lasted more than two weeks, has seen a tense confrontation between two of the most powerful figures in the tech industry. Musk is now seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and its primary investor, Microsoft, and also demands the removal of Altman and Brockman from OpenAI’s leadership.
During cross-examination, Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, sought to undermine Altman’s credibility by asking, 'Have you ever deceived others in business?' Altman replied, 'I don’t think so.' In turn, Altman criticized Musk’s leadership, stating that he had 'demoralized some key researchers' and 'didn’t understand how to run a good research lab.' Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018 to pursue his own AI development with the chatbot Grok.
The trial’s outcome could shape the future of OpenAI, including its product ChatGPT. The company is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) with a historic valuation of up to $1 trillion.
Against this backdrop, U.S. public sentiment remains skeptical about AI’s impact. A March 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that a majority of Americans believe AI will diminish creative thinking, meaningful relationships, and problem-solving abilities. Only 10% of respondents expressed more enthusiasm than concern about the increasing use of AI in daily life.
The AI industry continues to attract massive investment. The United Nations estimates the global market could reach $4.8 trillion by 2033. U.S. lawmakers are considering regulations on the technology, amid the midterm elections in November and the Donald Trump administration’s proposal for a 'national policy framework' to avoid overlapping state regulations.
