Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the OpenAI leadership has failed. A jury in Oakland ruled on Monday that Musk was too late to file legal action because the statute of limitations had already expired. This ruling was confirmed by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
Musk, who had co-founded OpenAI and reportedly invested $38 million in its early years, filed a lawsuit in February 2024 against CEO Sam Altman, President Greg Brockman, and OpenAI itself. He alleged that the organization had been “stolen” through the introduction of a profit-oriented structure. Microsoft was also included as a defendant, accused of supporting Musk’s claims through its investments in OpenAI.
Musk had exited OpenAI in 2018 and subsequently launched his own AI company, xAI, in 2023. The lawsuit posed a significant risk to OpenAI’s plans for a potential Initial Public Offering (IPO).
The jury, which served in an advisory capacity, issued a verdict that amounts to a victory for OpenAI and its founders, Altman and Brockman. Judge Gonzalez Rogers affirmed the jury’s decision, stating that there was a “significant amount” of evidence supporting the verdict.
