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Musk Demands Billions from OpenAI, Microsoft
18 Jan
Summary
- Musk seeks up to $134 billion, alleging 'wrongful gains'.
- He claims OpenAI gained $65.5-$109.4 billion from his early support.
- A trial is expected to begin in April in California.
Elon Musk has initiated a significant legal battle, seeking up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft. He contends that these entities unjustly profited from his foundational support of OpenAI, which began in 2015. Musk's legal team alleges that OpenAI derived between $65.5 billion and $109.4 billion, and Microsoft between $13.3 billion and $25.1 billion, from his early contributions.
The lawsuit asserts that Musk was instrumental in OpenAI's inception, providing substantial seed funding, lending his reputation, and contributing expertise in scaling a business. This legal action follows Musk's departure from OpenAI in 2018, and he now runs a competing AI venture, xAI. OpenAI and Microsoft have refuted the claims, with OpenAI labeling the suit "baseless" and part of a harassment campaign.
A judge in Oakland, California, has ruled that a jury will hear the case, with the trial anticipated to start in April. OpenAI and Microsoft are contesting the damages figures, attempting to exclude Musk's expert witness testimony, which they deem unreliable. Musk is also pursuing punitive damages and potentially an injunction.
