Closing Arguments Conclude in Musk v. Altman Trial; Jury to Deliberate

The first phase of the high-profile legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI has concluded in federal court in Oakland, California. Following closing arguments from both sides, the nine-person jury is scheduled to begin deliberations on Monday. The jury’s verdict will be advisory only, with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers retaining the authority to make the final decision on liability. Simultaneously, the trial will enter its second stage, the remedies phase, where the judge will hear arguments regarding potential damages and structural changes if defendants are found liable. Musk sued OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and president Greg Brockman in 2024, alleging they breached commitments to maintain the organization as a nonprofit and unjustly enriched themselves. His legal team seeks up to $134 billion in damages and the removal of Altman and Brockman. OpenAI’s defense argues that no such binding commitments were made and that Musk’s lawsuit is motivated by competition from his own AI venture, xAI. Microsoft, also named as a defendant, denied knowledge of any alleged breaches.