Elon Musk Vs Sam Altman: From Late Lawsuit Filing To Shivon Zilis Connection, Here Are Five Key Points Of High Profile Court Case

Tech billionaire Elon Musk faced nearly three hours of questioning on Wednesday, 29th April 2026 in a civil trial which involves OpenAI. Musk’s lawsuit against AI giant OpenAI, Musk has put the allegation that the organisation has moved from its original non-profit mission and turned into a for-profit company. This case focused on business direction, control, and internal decisions at the company. Here are the five key points regarding the high-profile billionaire vs billionaire court case in California.

Why Did Musk Wait So Long To Sue?

According to media reports, one of the major questions that arose in the trial was why Musk waited for years, until 2024 to file a lawsuit against the ChatGPT’s parent organisation OpenAI instead of leaving the company in 2018.

Musk told the court that he supported the idea of a non-profit arm only if it served the non-profit mission. He further told that the things changed, the revised structure seemed like “the tail is wagging the dog.”

He also highlighted Microsoft’s $10 billion investment in OpenAI in 2022 as a turning point. Musk added, “Microsoft would only put $10 billion, which is a huge sum of money, into something if they feel like they will get a return.” He believes there is no way Microsoft is giving such a huge amount as a donation. Moreover, Musk revealed that he texted OpenAI chief Altman at the same time, asking, “What the hell is going on?” and called the situation “a bait and switch.”

The Shivon Zilis Connection

During the detailed questioning of the court, the messages of venture capitalist Shivon Zilis came out. Court evidence reportedly noted that Elon Musk asked Zilis in 2017 to help create a for-profit structure for OpenAI. However, Musk responded, “That’s not my recollection.”

Apart from this another important message showed Musk telling Zilis to stay close and friendly to OpenAI and “keep information flowing,” Musk said he wanted to know what was going on.

“I Was A Fool,” Musk Admits On The Stand

In a surprising moment during the hearing, Musk called himself “a fool” for putting his money into OpenAI. He told the court he donated $38 million to the non-profit, which was then used to build what is now an $800 billion for-profit company. Musk’s position is clear, he believes people at OpenAI “should not get rich off a nonprofit.”

Musk Gets Heated With OpenAI’s Lawyer

The cross-examination turned tense at several moments. Musk accused OpenAI’s lead counsel William Savitt of being “misleading” and said his questions were “mostly unfair.” Even the judge had to step in to urge Musk to answer questions directly. It was one of the most dramatic moments of the entire trial.

What Does Musk Actually Want From This Case?

Musk is asking the court to revert OpenAI back to its original non-profit structure, remove Altman and Brockman from their positions, and pay over $130 billion in damages — though he has said he wants any money awarded to go to OpenAI’s non-profit, not to himself personally. The jury is expected to begin deliberations around May 12.

Tumbler Ridge Shooting

Family members of victims of one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in U.S. court on Wednesday, alleging the business knew about the shooter’s plans on ChatGPT eight months before the incident but did not notify police.

Seven lawsuits, filed in federal court in San Francisco, accuse OpenAI leaders of not alerting police because it would have exposed the volume of violence-related conversations on ChatGPT and potentially jeopardized the company’s path to a nearly $1 trillion initial public offering.

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