‘Feuding tech bros’ go head to head in legal showdown. But what does it mean for the future of AI?
‘Feuding tech bros’ go head to head in legal showdown. But what does it mean for the future of AI?
Publish Date: 2026-05-09 06:00:00
Source Domain: www.livescience.com
There was a time when Elon Musk and Sam Altman were friends. But the two tech billionaires are now embroiled in a bitter legal battle in the United States that could reshape not just OpenAI, the artificial intelligence (AI) firm behind ChatGPT they cofounded in 2015, but also the future of the technology more broadly.
Launched by Musk in 2024, the lawsuit is the culmination of a years-long feud that centers on the evolution of OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit enterprise.
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The case and the cast
The lawsuit pits Musk against Altman, OpenAI president Greg Brockman, OpenAI itself, and Microsoft, the AI firm’s largest backer.
Musk cofounded and helped fund OpenAI to the tune of about US$44 million. By his own account from the witness stand this week, he “came up with the idea, the name, recruited the key people, taught them everything I know, provided all of the initial funding”.
Brockman served as technical cofounder; Altman became chief executive in 2019. Their alliance with Musk fractured as the organization grew. Musk departed the board in 2018. He says he was pushed out.
However, OpenAI says he walked when denied majority control. Musk subsequently launched his own rival AI venture, xAI, which is now part of SpaceX.
What Musk is alleging
As part of the lawsuit, Musk is alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, false advertising and unfair business practices.
His core claim is that Altman and Brockman induced him to donate on the understanding that any artificial general intelligence – or AGI – built at OpenAI would stay “open” and shared with humanity.
Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI explores different narratives about how the company was founded.
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