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How Musk and Altman are feuding over OpenAI’s future in court
Elon Musk and Sam Altman appeared in a California federal court on April 27, 2026, presenting competing narratives about OpenAI's origins and its future. They describe a founding relationship that began with shared idealism but later devolved into accusations of betrayal and greed, each framing the origin story differently. The piece notes an early 2015 discussion where Altman proposed a nonprofit structure to keep the technology in the public realm.
Why It Matters
The dispute could influence OpenAI's governance and strategic direction, with implications for nonprofit vs for-profit models in the AI sector.
Timeline
2 Events
April 27, 2026: Musk and Altman appear in California federal court
April 27, 2026
Elon Musk and Sam Altman walked into a federal court in California to present their versions of the truth behind OpenAI. Their arguments describe a founding relationship that began with shared idealism and later included accusations of betrayal, manipulation, and greed on both sides. Both sides acknowledge the basic origin story but frame it differently.
Early 2015 discussions on OpenAI’s nonprofit structure
2015
According to Elon Musk, Sam Altman proposed structuring OpenAI so that the technology would belong to the world via a nonprofit, with ownership by a foundation and use for the good of the world.