Published On 4/29/2026
American billionaire Elon Musk, founder of OpenAI, accused its CEO, Sam Altman, of “taking over a charitable foundation,” with the launch of a trial in the United States related to transforming the company from a non-profit entity to a profit model worth about $850 billion, in reference to OpenAI.
During opening arguments in a lawsuit filed before a court in California, Musk’s lawyer, Stephen Mollo, said that transforming “OpenAI” into a profit-making company violates the original goal of developing artificial intelligence to serve humanity, likening the matter to a museum that sells its paintings to make profits.
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Musk’s lawsuit is based on the fact that the American billionaire provided funding estimated at approximately $38 million on the basis that the organization remains non-profit, accusing Sam Altman and the company’s president, Greg Brockman, of achieving personal gains from this change in the organization’s identity.
On the other hand, OpenAI denies Musk’s accusations, stressing the absence of any binding pledges to maintain the non-profit status of the organization, considering that the lawsuit filed is related to competition after Musk launched his own company in the field of artificial intelligence, called “xAI.”
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The results of the trial, which will last four weeks, may have major repercussions on the future of OpenAI, as it may lead to the cancellation of its recent restructuring, and threaten its plans for an initial public offering that could reach a value of up to a trillion dollars, according to the British Financial Times.
The lawsuit also includes accusations that Microsoft, the largest investor in OpenAI, is contributing to the transition to a profit model, which the company denies.
OpenAI confirms that its non-profit council approved the restructuring, noting that the transformation came to secure sufficient funding to attract talent and develop the computer infrastructure necessary to expand its activity.
In a remarkable development, the court warned Musk against his repeated comments on social media regarding the case, considering that they may affect the conduct of the trial.
