Art by Clark Miller; Getty images.Why Musk’s Legal Battle Over OpenAI’s Structure Isn’t a Total Long Shot
With the feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman intensifying online and in person, the two are set to meet in a complex courtroom showdown.
Much is known about the pastimes of the world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk. They include playing videogames, fathering children and reading Douglas Adams novels.
Over the past couple of years, Musk has picked up another hobby: waging war against Sam Altman, an ex-friend with whom he co-founded OpenAI a decade ago as a nonprofit. And Musk’s case in one critical lawsuit may not be as frivolous as it might appear at first glance. If Musk succeeds, the decision could reshape how the next period of the AI era unfolds.
Within the next few weeks, Musk and Altman will be deposed by each other’s attorneys, the latest step in a federal lawsuit Musk filed against Altman last year. It’s set to go to trial in early 2026, and the litigation could hamper OpenAI’s ability to convert its for-profit business into a regular company and go public.