Story perspectives

Musk sues OpenAI for $134 B, demands Altman's ouster

4/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI is being tried in Oakland, with Satya Nadella, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman testifying.
Musk seeks $134 billion, ouster of Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, and undoing OpenAI’s restructuring; OpenAI says a 2017 agreement allowed the change and Musk’s $38 million was a tax-deductible donation.
Regulators approved OpenAI’s 2025 for-profit restructuring overseen by its non-profit, a move the lawsuit says betrays its humanitarian mission before $1 trillion IPO.

History

Historical Context

Beginning in May 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice and twenty states sued Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows, alleging monopoly power. Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson’s 2001 ruling led to a settlement that required API sharing and halted breakup plans. The case set a precedent for later tech antitrust actions, such as the European Commission’s €899 million fine in 2008.

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Story summary

Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI is being tried in Oakland, with Satya Nadella, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman testifying.
Musk seeks $134 billion, ouster of Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, and undoing OpenAI’s restructuring; OpenAI says a 2017 agreement allowed the change and Musk’s $38 million was a tax-deductible donation.
Regulators approved OpenAI’s 2025 for-profit restructuring overseen by its non-profit, a move the lawsuit says betrays its humanitarian mission before $1 trillion IPO.

1 / 2