Jury Deliberations Begin in OpenAI Trial as Musk Attends Beijing State Visit

Jury deliberations are set to begin in the high-profile civil trial between Elon Musk and OpenAI executives Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. The three-week testimony phase concluded in Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’s Oakland courtroom, with closing arguments wrapping up on Thursday. Notably, Musk was absent for the closings, attending a state visit to Beijing with former President Donald Trump’s delegation instead. The lawsuit centers on allegations that OpenAI’s 2025 transition from a nonprofit to a capped-profit structure breached charitable trust obligations regarding Musk’s early donations. Musk seeks up to $134 billion in disgorgement to restore the nonprofit status and remove current leadership, while the defense argues no enforceable commitments were made and legal procedures were followed. Microsoft, a co-defendant, defended its investments as crucial for OpenAI’s survival. Although the nine-person jury provides an advisory verdict on liability, Judge Rogers retains final authority over remedies. This case is viewed as a precedent-setting event for the governance of AI laboratories transitioning from charitable origins to commercial entities, with significant implications for the tech industry.