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Oakland, California: Elon Musk accused a lawyer for OpenAI of repeatedly trying to trick him during a tense cross-examination at a trial that may determine the future of the artificial intelligence company<\/a> that built ChatGPT.<\/p>\n Musk\u2019s lawsuit alleges OpenAI ditched its mission to build artificial intelligence for the public good, and he is seeking billions of dollars and a change in management and direction for OpenAI, which says Musk knew exactly what was going on and was angry he was not made CEO.<\/p>\n William Savitt, a lawyer for OpenAI, told Musk his questions about the tax benefits of his $US38 million in donations to OpenAI and the company\u2019s corporate structure were meant to be simple, and that Musk\u2019s responses should be as well.<\/p>\n \u201cYour questions are not simple. They\u2019re designed to trick me,\u201d Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, told a nine-person jury in a federal court in Oakland, California.<\/p>\n The heated exchange came after Musk, over two days of questioning by his own lawyer<\/a>, accused OpenAI, its co-founder and chief executive Sam Altman, and its president Greg Brockman of promising to build a non-profit to develop AI responsibly, before pivoting to create a for-profit entity in 2019 to enrich themselves.<\/p>\n Related Article OpenAI has argued that Musk, who helped finance the company\u2019s early growth, is driven by a compulsion to control it and bitterness over its success after he left the board in 2018. It has said he is seeking to bolster his own AI company, SpaceX unit xAI, which lags OpenAI in user adoption.<\/p>\n The company also contends Musk pushed OpenAI to become a for-profit business, wanted to become CEO, and alleges that safety was not a priority for him when he was with the company.<\/p>\n Savitt asked Musk about an email he sent Altman in 2015 suggesting OpenAI be structured as a for-profit corporation with a parallel non-profit, part of an effort to show Musk was supportive of a for-profit entity. Musk said the emails did not indicate his definitive position.<\/p>\n \u201cDiscussions and brainstorming are not a deal,\u201d said Musk, wearing a dark suit over a white shirt and glancing at the jury occasionally as he spoke.<\/p>\n Seated in the courtroom, Altman and Brockman \u2013 who took notes with a red pen on a yellow legal pad \u2013 listened intently as the exchanges between Musk and Savitt grew increasingly heated.<\/p>\n Musk repeatedly asked the lawyer to stop interrupting him. Musk answered one of Savitt\u2019s questions by saying, \u201cYou tell me.\u201d Savitt responded, \u201cI get to ask the questions, Mr Musk.\u201d<\/p>\n Musk is expected to return to the stand for more cross-examination on Thursday.<\/p>\n Musk says Altman offer \u2018felt like a bribe\u2019<\/p>\n The trial highlights the depth of the rupture between Musk and Altman. The pair co-founded OpenAI in 2015 to create a benevolent steward of the technology and fend off rivals such as Alphabet\u2019s Google. Musk testified he left OpenAI in 2018 to focus on Tesla and SpaceX.<\/p>\n Microsoft, also a defendant, invested $US10 billion in OpenAI in 2023, a deal Musk said fuelled his concerns that OpenAI was abandoning its mission.<\/p>\n Jurors were shown text messages Musk and Altman exchanged after news broke of Microsoft\u2019s potential investment.<\/p>\n In them, Musk told Altman the move felt like a \u201cbait and switch\u201d. Altman responded, \u201cI agree this feels bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Jury shown Altman\u2019s texts to Musk<\/p>\n Earlier on Wednesday, jurors were shown an email Musk sent to Altman and Brockman in 2017, referring to himself as a \u201cfool\u201d for providing them funding for what he believed was a non-profit venture.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat they really wanted to do was create a for-profit where they had as much shareholder ownership as possible,\u201d Musk said under questioning by his lawyer, Steven Molo.<\/p>\n OpenAI has said it created a for-profit entity to allow it to accept private investments to help buy computing power and pay top scientists.<\/p>\n On cross-examination, Savitt highlighted instances in which Altman appeared to keep Musk apprised of OpenAI\u2019s plans to create a for-profit entity and pursue investment from Microsoft.<\/p>\n Related Article Savitt asked Musk if he had responded to an April 3, 2019 text message Altman sent him asking, \u201cDo you have a few mins to talk about the Microsoft\/openai investment?\u201d Musk said he did not recall if he responded.<\/p>\n Musk seeks $US150 billion in damages<\/p>\n The trial comes as OpenAI prepares for a potential initial public offering that could value it at $US1 trillion, Reuters has reported. The company also faces growing competition from rivals, including Anthropic, while a Wall Street Journal report that OpenAI had missed some internal performance targets weighed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Musk is seeking $US150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, with any award going to OpenAI\u2019s charitable arm. He also wants OpenAI to revert to a nonprofit, with Altman and Brockman removed as officers and Altman removed from the board.<\/p>\n His claims include breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.<\/p>\n OpenAI is currently structured as a public benefit corporation, in which the non-profit and other investors, including Microsoft, hold stakes.<\/p>\n Reuters, wires<\/p>\n Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. 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Elon Musk inside the court building in Oakland. The trial highlights the depth of the rupture between him and Sam Altman.Bloomberg<\/p>\n![\"Elon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777527015_329_ec64d4e8272394f810f1089d2ab1e8e9e21e3e023e8a07d521e590611c4f0d64.jpeg\")
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William Savitt, OpenAI\u2019s lead attorney, had a tense confrontation with Musk in court. AP<\/p>\n![\"Musk](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c9a637aef2db078e9e0b1b12bbecd17901dd6899.jpeg\")
Musk accused OpenAI\u2019s Sam Altman (pictured) and Greg Brockman of not being \u201chonest\u201d about plans for the company.Bloomberg<\/p>\n![\"Elon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777415170_271_4c1f88e23d373c99225176707221b778316c7133.jpeg\")
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