OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Testifies in High-Stakes Trial Against Elon Musk
During the Musk v. Altman trial in Oakland, Altman characterised Elon Musk as obsessed with control, recounting a proposal to pass the company to his children upon his death.
Sam Altman took the witness stand in Oakland on Tuesday to defend his reputation in the Musk v. Altman trial, facing aggressive cross-examination regarding allegations of deception and undisclosed financial conflicts. The proceedings, which commenced on Tuesday, saw Musk's counsel, Steven Molo, challenge Altman's trustworthiness by citing past accusations from former colleagues and specific allegations from 15 years ago concerning his tenure at the location-sharing startup Loopt.
Altman characterised Elon Musk as obsessed with controlling OpenAI, recounting a specific instance that he described as a "hair-raising" moment. He stated that Musk suggested passing control of the company to his children if he were to die, a proposal Altman said made both him and Greg Brockman uncomfortable. This testimony highlighted the central tension of the lawsuit, where Musk alleges that Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman betrayed the organisation's original charitable mission.
During the cross-examination, Altman disclosed significant financial stakes in companies that have struck deals with OpenAI. He confirmed ownership of a nearly $2 billion equity stake in the nuclear energy startup Helion, alongside a $600 million stake in Stripe, as well as investments in Reddit and Cerebras. Altman argued that these financial stakes were necessary to secure funding for the nonprofit, noting that the organisation holds an equity stake worth more than $200 billion.
Musk's lawyers questioned the governance of the OpenAI board, presenting texts between Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and tech executive Bret Taylor from the weekend after Altman's initial firing. These messages suggested Altman sought reassurances regarding a new board that would please them all, including Taylor, who ultimately became the board chair. Altman testified that he needed these reassurances to return to run the company, describing the situation as a failure in governance that left a lack of confidence in the people needed to run the business.
The trial revealed that Altman considered running for Governor of California around 2017 before dropping out, a detail Molo used to suggest Altman cares about power as much as Musk. Meanwhile, flight records indicate that Elon Musk was not present for Altman's testimony, as he was travelling to the Washington, DC area to fly to China with President Donald Trump. Altman stated he does not currently plan to fire himself, though he indicated he may return to the witness stand on Wednesday.
