Jurors begin deliberations Monday in Musk v. OpenAI trial after closing arguments

Elon Musk’s case against OpenAI moved to the jury on Thursday after lawyers for Musk, OpenAI and Microsoft delivered closing arguments in federal court in Oakland, California. The nine-person jury is scheduled to begin deliberations on Monday, May 18, and its verdict will be advisory rather than binding. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will make the final decision on liability, according to courtroom coverage and the case docket. The lawsuit, filed by Musk in August 2024, names Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Microsoft and multiple OpenAI entities. Musk alleges OpenAI abandoned the nonprofit mission he backed when he helped found the organization in 2015 and later shifted into a profit-driven structure that enriched insiders. OpenAI has denied making the commitments Musk says existed and has argued Musk sued only after launching rival startup xAI. (cnbc.com) ### What exactly will jurors decide on Monday? Judge Gonzalez Rogers told jurors on Thursday that they must decide the case “solely on the evidence before” them, according to CNBC’s courtroom report. The claims before the jury include breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment, ABC7 reported from the courthouse. Because the jury’s role is advisory, Gonzalez Rogers will ultimately determine liability after receiving its findings. (courtlistener.com) Monday also marks the start of the remedies phase, CNBC reported. That means deliberations will begin at the same time the court turns to what relief could follow if Musk prevails on any of his claims. ### What did Musk’s lawyers tell the jury? Steven Molo, Musk’s lawyer, used his closing to attack Altman’s credibility and argue that OpenAI broke from the principles Musk says guided its founding. (cnbc.com) CNBC reported that Molo said OpenAI failed to open-source its technology, failed to prioritize AI safety and failed to follow nonprofit customs and practices. Reuters reported separately that Musk’s side pressed the jury to hold OpenAI and its leaders responsible for turning the nonprofit into a vehicle to enrich themselves. ABC7 reported that Musk’s team urged jurors to test whether they would trust “Sam Altman’s version of the truth.” That argument followed more than 10 days of testimony that included private journals, text messages and internal exchanges among OpenAI executives and investors, according to the station’s live coverage. (cnbc.com) ### How did OpenAI and Microsoft answer those claims? Sarah Eddy and William Savitt, arguing for OpenAI, told jurors that Altman and Brockman never promised Musk that OpenAI would remain locked into a specific corporate structure, CNBC reported. Eddy also told the jury that Musk “never cared about the nonprofit structure” and instead cared about “winning,” according to CNBC’s account of the closing arguments. (abc7news.com) Microsoft lawyer Russell Cohen told jurors the company had no knowledge of the events Musk says amounted to a breach of charitable trust, CNBC reported. Microsoft is accused by Musk of aiding and abetting that alleged breach because it became OpenAI’s principal investor. ### How large are the stakes in the remedies fight? ABC7 reported that OpenAI was described in trial coverage as being valued at $852 billion, underscoring the scale of the dispute around the company’s structure. (cnbc.com) The Next Web reported that Musk is seeking disgorgement that could reach as high as $134 billion, though that figure remains part of the contested remedies discussion rather than a court ruling. Court records show the case is Musk v. Altman, No. 4:24-cv-04722, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The docket lists Gonzalez Rogers as the assigned judge and shows filings continuing through May 15, 2026. ### What comes next in court? Monday, May 18, is the next concrete date in the case. On that day, the nine jurors are scheduled to start deliberations in Oakland, and the court is also set to begin the remedies phase before Judge Gonzalez Rogers. (abc7news.com) (cnbc.com) (courtlistener.com)