Musk texted OpenAI's Brockman about settlement two days before trial began
Days before trial, Musk texted OpenAI president Brockman to pressure settlement, warning both would become America’s most hated figures if talks failed.Summary
Two days before Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar lawsuit against OpenAI was set for trial, Musk texted OpenAI president Greg Brockman to explore settlement, according to a filing. When Brockman proposed both sides drop their claims, Musk replied that by week’s end Brockman and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman would be the most hated men in America if they insisted on trial. Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, sued OpenAI, Brockman and Altman in 2024, alleging they abandoned commitments to keep the company nonprofit and charitable. Trial began in federal court in Oakland, California, with Musk testifying the prior week and accusing Altman and Brockman of trying to “steal a charity.” OpenAI’s lawyers sought to admit Musk’s text to show motive and bias, but the judge declined to admit it. Musk also testified about his competing AI startup xAI, which he merged with SpaceX at a $250 billion valuation. After Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, OpenAI embraced commercialization, launched a for-profit subsidiary, and surged in value following ChatGPT, now exceeding $850 billion. Musk claims his roughly $38 million early donation funded unauthorized commercial use, while OpenAI calls the claims baseless. Brockman testified after Musk and was expected to continue on the stand the following day.
(Source：Cnbc)