California jury unanimously dismissed the lawsuit filed by Elon Musk against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman after only two hours of deliberation.
According to court details, the case was thrown out on procedural grounds because Musk filed the lawsuit after the legal deadline for bringing such claims had expired.
Musk had argued that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit mission of developing AI for the benefit of humanity after evolving into a for-profit company now reportedly valued at more than $852 billion, despite his early financial contributions totaling around $38 million.
Altman, however, told jurors that Musk was aware of — and previously supported — the company’s transition toward a for-profit structure, adding that the deeper dispute centered around Musk’s desire for long-term control over the organization.
Although the lawsuit was dismissed, the court never ruled on the broader legal question surrounding the legitimacy of OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit entity into a profit-driven company, leaving the debate unresolved across the AI industry.