Jury Rejects Musk's $150B OpenAI Lawsuit

Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- A federal jury unanimously rejected Elon Musk's claims against Sam Altman and OpenAI, with deliberations lasting less than two hours before reaching a verdict.
- Judge Yvonne Gonzalez dismissed two additional claims citing the statute of limitations and indicated she would likely side with the jury's verdict, per X posts.
- The Musk v. Altman lawsuit, characterized as a $150 billion suit by Variety, was effectively ended on statute of limitations grounds rather than on the merits of Musk's allegations.
- Musk's lawyer Marc Toberoff gave a one-word statement to reporters walking out of the courtroom: "Appeal," signaling Musk's legal team intends to challenge the ruling.
- OpenAI avoided a potentially devastating outcome, with the nine-person unanimous verdict letting the company preserve its current structure and leadership under CEO Sam Altman.
Why it matters: Musk's $150 billion suit sought to force major structural changes at OpenAI; the swift, unanimous verdict on procedural grounds ends this chapter and lets OpenAI keep its current trajectory. But Musk's lawyer immediately signaled an appeal, meaning the courtroom fight isn't over.

