Musk v Altman: Court rules 'jackass' trophy inadmissible for jury
Jurors in the high-profile legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman will not view a commemorative trophy inscribed with the phrase “Never stop being a jackass,” after the presiding judge ruled it inadmissible without further justification from the defence.
The item, which was presented by Sam Altman’s legal team during the trial concerning nonprofit contract law at OpenAI, features an inscription that reads “Never stop being a jackass.” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers directed lawyers to read the text aloud for the press rather than admitting the physical object into evidence for the jury’s consideration.
The trophy was originally purchased by OpenAI employees to commemorate research scientist Josh Ackiam. Ackiam testified that the item was created following an incident in 2015 when Musk, then departing the organisation, discussed a strategy to race ahead of Google. According to Ackiam, he questioned the wisdom of that approach, prompting Musk to refer to him as a jackass.
Altman’s legal team introduced the trophy to suggest that avoiding AI harm was not a high priority for Musk at the time. The prosecution argues this contrasts with Musk’s current portrayal of his lawsuit as an effort to prevent serious harm from artificial intelligence. The inscription serves as a tangible link to these alleged historical attitudes.
During his own direct testimony, Musk denied the incident occurred as described. He suggested that he may have said, “Don’t be a jackass,” rather than using the term as a direct insult directed at Ackiam. The exact wording of the 2015 exchange remains a point of contention between the parties.
Judge Rogers ruled that the jurors would not view the trophy unless Musk’s legal team provided a specific reason for its introduction. As no such reason was immediately provided, the item remains excluded from the jury’s view, though its existence and inscription have been formally recorded in the proceedings.
