Musk sought $150B from OpenAI

This is a corporate-control fight dressed up as an AI ethics case. Elon Musk says OpenAI betrayed its founding mission by becoming a commercial powerhouse. OpenAI says Musk is really trying to damage a rival. The new wrinkle is that Musk tried to cut a deal just two days before trial — and the text message now sits right in the middle of the case. ### What happened right before trial? OpenAI told the court that Musk texted OpenAI president Greg Brockman shortly before the Oakland trial was set to begin. Brockman floated a simple off-ramp — both sides drop their claims. Musk rejected that and, in the filing, warned that Brockman and Sam Altman would be “the most hated men in America” by week’s end if they insisted show Musk’s motive. ### Why does that text matter? Because this case is no longer just about old promises from 2015. It is now also about intent. OpenAI’s lawyers are arguing that Musk is not merely trying to protect a nonprofit mission — he is trying to attack a competitor and its leadership. A pre-trial settlement feeler is normal enough. But a threat-laced message, right before testimony, gives OpenAI something concrete to point to in front of the court. ### What is Musk actually suing over? Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and later left its board in 2018. He says he helped fund the lab on the understanding that it would remain a nonprofit focused on benefiting humanity, not become a giant money-making engine. In the lawsuit, he says roughly $38 million he contributed was diverted toward unauthorized commercial purposes after OpenAI created a for-profit subsidiary and then exploded in value after ChatGPT. ### What does Musk want if he wins? A lot more than damages. Musk has asked for OpenAI to be pushed back toward true nonprofit control, for Sam Altman to be removed from the nonprofit board, and for both Altman and Brockman to be removed as officers of the for-profit side. That is the key thing here — he is not just asking for money. He is asking the court to reorder who runs one of the most important AI companies in the world. ### How big is the money fight? Huge. Before trial, CNBC described the case as a $134 billion lawsuit. OpenAI is also now valued at more than $850 billion by private investors, which makes any ruling around control, governance, or damages feel much bigger than a normal founder dispute. Basically, this is what happens when an argument over mission collides with one of the richest private companies in tech. ### Why is OpenAI pushing this so hard? Because the company has every reason to frame Musk as a hostile rival, not a betrayed founder. Musk launched xAI in 2023, and CNBC says he later merged xAI with SpaceX in a deal valuing that combined entity at $1.25 trillion. If OpenAI can persuade the court that this lawsuit is part principle and part competitive warfare, Musk’s story gets harder to sell. ### Where does the case stand now? The case is Musk v. Altman in federal court in Northern California. The docket shows it was filed in August 2024, and trial proceedings began in Oakland in late April 2026. Musk already spent days on the stand, and Brockman could be called as the trial continues. the failed settlement attempt may help OpenAI argue this case is as much about power and competition as nonprofit principle. And when the company at the center is worth more than $850 billion, that distinction matters a lot.