Sam Altman is expected to testify this week in a closely watched court case involving Elon Musk and OpenAI, as the legal dispute over the organisation’s transformation intensifies in a California courtroom.
The trial, now entering its third week, is being closely followed across the technology industry and could have major implications for OpenAI’s future leadership and business structure as the company continues expanding its artificial intelligence operations ahead of a possible trillion-dollar public offering.
Musk alleges that Altman and other OpenAI executives persuaded him to contribute nearly $38 million when the organisation was founded as a nonprofit focused on advancing AI for the benefit of humanity. He claims the company later shifted toward a profit-driven model in violation of its original mission.
OpenAI has strongly denied the allegations, arguing that Musk was fully aware of internal discussions regarding a potential for-profit structure from the beginning. The company contends that Musk only became dissatisfied after failing to secure greater control over OpenAI.
The case has drawn significant attention in Silicon Valley, with testimony from several current and former executives exposing internal disagreements and tensions during OpenAI’s rapid growth in the AI sector.
Former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever testified on Monday that he spent nearly a year gathering evidence for the company’s board concerning what he described as a “consistent pattern of lying” by Altman.
Other prominent figures who have already testified include OpenAI President Greg Brockman, former chief technology officer Mira Murati, and former board member Shivon Zilis.
Musk is seeking the removal of Altman and Brockman from their leadership roles, arguing that OpenAI has abandoned the charitable principles upon which it was founded.
During testimony, Musk stated that his financial contributions were intended to support a nonprofit initiative rather than a commercial enterprise.
The billionaire entrepreneur also acknowledged that he was aware of early discussions about developing a for-profit structure, but claimed Altman repeatedly assured him that OpenAI’s nonprofit mission would remain central to the organisation’s future direction.