On Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the stand in an Oakland federal courthouse in the Musk-Altman trial. Over more than three hours of questioning from both sides, Altman reportedly addressed the key allegations at the heart of the case.
Elon Musk‘s lawsuit alleges that Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman “looted” OpenAI’s nonprofit structure through their partnership with Microsoft Inc. (NASDAQ:MSFT) for personal benefit.
Here are the top 5 moments from Altman’s Tuesday testimony.
Running For California Governor
Altman testified under oath that he had previously considered running for California governor, clarifying that a 2017 email referencing his “political goals” was likely about that interest in state politics. He said he was thinking about a potential gubernatorial run at the time, Business Insider reported, though Gavin Newsom ultimately won the 2018 election.
‘Complicated’ Feelings For Musk
Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, questioned Altman about a 2023 message in which the billionaire thanked Musk and credited him as essential to OpenAI’s creation, CNBC reported.
When asked if his views had changed since then, Altman said he now feels very differently about Musk. Molo then suggested Altman might say what others want to hear rather than what he believes is true, which Altman denied, saying his feelings about Musk are “complicated” before being interrupted by the lawyer.
‘Hair-Raising’ Concerns Over Tesla Takeover
Altman testified that Musk pushed for OpenAI to become part of Tesla after failing to secure control of the company’s for-profit arm. During the trial, OpenAI lawyer William Savitt presented 2017 messages from Musk aide Sam Teller suggesting Altman could join Tesla’s board and help build its AI efforts alongside Brockman and former OpenAI executive Ilya Sutskever, according to CNBC.
Altman said he interpreted the messages as Musk signaling that Tesla would pursue AI development with or without OpenAI. However, he opposed the idea, arguing that Tesla’s priorities as a car company conflicted with OpenAI’s mission and that a merger could have undermined or even “destroyed” the nonprofit organization.
According to a BBC report, Altman said Musk supported OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit structure and sought long-term control over the company. Altman recalled a “hair-raising moment” in which cofounders asked Musk what would happen to that control after his death, to which Musk allegedly suggested it could be passed on to his children.
Altman Nearly Left For Microsoft
Altman revealed he seriously considered leaving OpenAI altogether after his 2023 ouster as CEO. He also said that Satya Nadella offered him a role at Microsoft Inc. (NASDAQ:MSFT), along with invitations for OpenAI employees to join, as per Business Insider. He said the idea of starting a pure AI research effort at Microsoft was appealing, given he was “extremely angry” after his removal from OpenAI.
Ultimately, Altman chose to return to OpenAI under a restructured board to preserve the organization’s nonprofit mission, despite believing he could have made a “ton of money” and pursued an easier path at Microsoft, the report detailed.
Musk Exit Impact On OpenAI
The OpenAI CEO testified that Musk’s 2018 departure from the startup’s board created uncertainty about the company’s future funding and raised internal concerns that Musk might retaliate against the organization, CNBC reported.
At the same time, Altman said some OpenAI researchers viewed Musk’s exit as a “morale boost” because they had felt demotivated by his management style. Altman told the court he did not believe Musk understood how to run an effective research lab, suggesting his leadership approach was better suited to factory environments.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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