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OpenAI President Greg Brockman testified in Oakland federal court that Elon Musk supported turning OpenAI into a for-profit company, but wanted control partly to raise $80 billion for a Mars city, according to The Japan Times and Reuters reporting republished by Investing.com. The testimony came during the second week of Musk’s trial against OpenAI, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman over the company’s shift away from its original nonprofit structure.
Key developments
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Brockman said Musk pushed in 2017 for OpenAI to change its corporate structure because the nonprofit model made it difficult to raise the money needed for advanced AI development. Brockman testified that Musk made clear he wanted to lead OpenAI if that shift happened.
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According to Brockman’s testimony, Musk argued during a tense 2017 meeting that he deserved a majority stake because of his business experience. Brockman said Musk tied that control to his goal of building a self-sustaining city on Mars, saying he needed $80 billion and ultimately needed full control.
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The trial centers on Musk’s claim that OpenAI abandoned its charitable mission and improperly became a for-profit business. Reuters reported that Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages to be paid to the nonprofit, along with the removal of Altman and Brockman from leadership roles.
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OpenAI has rejected Musk’s allegations, arguing that he left before the company’s major commercial success and now wants control. In court, Brockman also testified that OpenAI plans to spend $50 billion on computing resources in 2026, underscoring the scale of capital behind the dispute.
What to watch
The next major question is how the court weighs competing accounts of OpenAI’s 2017 and 2019 restructuring decisions: whether they show a necessary funding shift for AI development or a break from the nonprofit mission Musk says he supported.
The trial is also testing each side’s account of motive. A separate Reuters report said Musk contacted Brockman about a possible settlement shortly before trial, though the core issue remains whether OpenAI’s structure and leadership violated obligations tied to its founding.
Sources
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