Elon Musk tells his side of OpenAI's beginnings in trial pitting him against CEO Sam Altman

Audio By Carbonatix

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Elon Musk took the stand for the second day Wednesday in the landmark trial that pits the world's richest man against Sam Altman, a fellow OpenAI co-founder he accuses of betraying promises to keep the company as a nonprofit dedicated to humanity's benefit.

The trial centers on the 2015 birth of the ChatGPT maker as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion. It started Monday and is expected to last about three weeks.

Musk, who invested about $38 million in OpenAI from December 2015 through May 2017, gave his account of OpenAI’s early years, recounting how he lost confidence that Altman would keep it a nonprofit. Questioned by his lawyer Steven Molo, Musk said by late 2022 he was concerned he was trying to “steal the charity.”

"It turned out to be true,” Musk said on the witness stand, wearing his usual courtroom attire of a black suit and tie.

Altman, OpenAI's CEO, was in attendance at the federal courthouse in Oakland, California, although he was not scheduled to testify on Wednesday.

Lawyers for OpenAI have rejected the allegations brought in Musk's civil lawsuit and said there were never promises that the company would remain a nonprofit forever. The company has argued Musk's legal challenge is aimed at undercutting OpenAI's rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.