Elon Musk Casts Himself as AI Safety Advocate in OpenAI Court Testimony
Elon Musk testified that OpenAI prioritized profits over AI safety during a federal court hearing.
Why it matters: Musk's testimony highlights growing tensions over AI governance, ethics, and commercialization. The case could shape future legal frameworks and standards for AI deployment, especially as AI tools become critical in legal and corporate sectors.
- Musk testified in Oakland federal court on April 28, 2026, accusing OpenAI of shifting from charity to profit-driven motives.
- He co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and left in 2018 after strategic disagreements.
- OpenAI's for-profit model began in 2019, followed by Microsoft's $10 billion investment in 2020.
- Musk is suing to remove Sam Altman and Greg Brockman and restore OpenAI's nonprofit status.
On April 28, 2026, Elon Musk took the stand in Oakland, California, criticizing OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit to a profit-oriented enterprise, and portraying himself as an advocate for AI safety. He alleged that OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015 as a nonprofit, had strayed from its founding mission “to develop AI for the benefit of humanity” after forming a for-profit subsidiary in 2019.
Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, citing disagreements about the company's direction. He testified, “It's not okay to steal a charity,” and questioned whether it was wise to let Microsoft—OpenAI’s key investor—“control artificial general intelligence.” Microsoft invested $10 billion in OpenAI in 2020, securing an exclusive license for certain OpenAI products.
The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accuses OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman and president Greg Brockman of diverting the nonprofit’s mission for personal gain after the company’s valuation soared to $852 billion by March 2026. Musk seeks to oust Altman and Brockman and revert OpenAI to a nonprofit. He invested $38 million in OpenAI between 2015 and 2017, but went on to found his own AI venture, xAI, in 2023.
The trial spotlights the high-stakes debate over how AI should be governed, who profits from it, and evolving legal standards around its development and deployment, especially important as legal professionals increasingly rely on AI tools in their work.
By the numbers:
- $38 million — Musk's investment in OpenAI between 2015 and 2017.
- $10 billion — Microsoft's investment in OpenAI in 2020.
- $852 billion — OpenAI's valuation as of March 2026.
Yes, but: Specifics on OpenAI and Microsoft's licensing agreements and current safety protocols remain undisclosed.