Elon Musk clashes with OpenAI lawyer in combative courtroom testimony

Elon Musk delivered combative testimony in court this week as he faced intense questioning in his ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman, accusing the company’s legal team of attempting to mislead him during cross-examination.

During his second day on the stand, Musk objected to what he described as overly complex questioning from OpenAI attorney William Savitt. 

At one point, he told the lawyer, “Your questions are not simple. They’re designed to trick me essentially.”

Musk is suing OpenAI, alleging that its leadership abandoned its original nonprofit mission in favour of a for-profit structure, violating the founding principles he says he helped establish. The case also names Altman and Greg Brockman as defendants.

OpenAI, however, argues that Musk’s legal challenge is driven by competitive tensions, pointing to his creation of rival AI company xAI. 

The company claims Musk left OpenAI after failing to secure greater control and is now attempting to undermine a competitor in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence sector.

In court, Musk reiterated that he originally supported OpenAI as a nonprofit aimed at public benefit, saying he contributed significant funding and intended the organisation to remain focused on safety and long-term societal impact. 

He argued that his involvement was motivated by concerns over the risks of advanced artificial intelligence.

OpenAI’s legal team countered by highlighting Musk’s own for-profit AI ventures, including xAI and its chatbot Grok, questioning his consistency regarding commercialisation.

The case, which includes claims of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment, is expected to continue for several weeks and could have major implications for the future structure of AI companies.