Musk lawsuit over OpenAI nonprofit claims goes to trial

April 27, 2026

Summary

A trial will test Musk’s claim that OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission as it expanded its for-profit business.

Why this matters

The case could shape how one of the most prominent artificial intelligence companies is governed and whether its nonprofit commitments remain enforceable as AI investment grows. It also highlights broader questions about who benefits from advanced AI systems.

Elon Musk’s lawsuit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its nonprofit mission is set to go to trial Monday with jury selection.

The case in a courtroom across the bay from San Francisco centers on OpenAI’s shift from a nonprofit lab to a company with a for-profit arm. Musk, an OpenAI co-founder and early backer, argues he was misled about the startup’s mission.

Court filings said Sam Altman persuaded Musk in 2015 to support OpenAI as a nonprofit lab whose technology “would belong to the world.” Musk invested millions in the lab before leaving.

OpenAI later created a commercial subsidiary, saying it needed vast sums to build the data centers required for its technology. Microsoft invested billions of dollars in OpenAI, and Chief Executive Satya Nadella is among those expected to testify. Musk and Altman are also on the witness list.

OpenAI said in court filings that its split with Musk stemmed from his effort to gain control, not from its nonprofit status. In a recent post on X, the company said: “This case has always been about Elon generating more power and more money for what he wants. His lawsuit remains nothing more than a harassment campaign that’s driven by ego, jealousy and a desire to slow down a competitor.”

OpenAI also said Musk called for a six-month pause in advanced artificial intelligence development days after entering the sector in 2023.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is expected by mid-May to decide, with guidance from an advisory jury, whether OpenAI broke a promise to Musk. Musk asked that OpenAI return to a purely nonprofit structure and that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman, the company’s president, be removed.

Musk had sought as much as $134 billion in damages but later said he would not personally benefit and would direct any award to the OpenAI nonprofit. The judge reserved the right to determine remedies without the jury.

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Fresh fighting broke out Sunday in Kidal, Mali, a day after coordinated attacks by jihadist and rebel groups across the country.

Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front said a deal had been reached for Malian forces and their Russian allies to leave Kidal.

The Africa Corps, which is under the Russian Defense Ministry, took over much of the Wagner Group’s Africa operations after founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in 2023. The group has supported Mali’s junta in fighting jihadists.

Mali’s government said Sunday that Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an insurgent attack Saturday. Government spokesman Issa Ousmane Coulibaly said on state television that assailants targeted Camara’s house.

Fighting also broke out Sunday in Kati, a junta stronghold near Bamako, residents said.

The government said Saturday’s attacks wounded 16 civilians and soldiers and caused “limited material damage.” It said “the situation is totally under control in all the localities” that were attacked.

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Iran gave the U.S. a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and delay nuclear negotiations, Axios reported, citing a U.S. official and two people familiar with the matter.

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Efforts to restart talks stalled over the weekend after Trump canceled a planned trip by his top envoys, and Iran said it would not negotiate while it was being threatened.

Trump said Saturday that Iran had quickly sent a new proposal after he told his envoys not to travel to Pakistan for talks.

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China said Monday it opposed a European Union proposal that would require companies seeking public funding in some strategic sectors to meet minimum thresholds for parts made in the bloc.

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The White House said Friday it would send envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad. But after Araghchi’s departure was reported, President Donald Trump said he had canceled the trip because of a lack of progress with Iran.

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Former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid said Sunday they were joining forces ahead of Israel’s next election, expected later this year, in a bid to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

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Middle East

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Spanberger now must either sign the legislation as passed or veto it within 30 days.

The governor’s version would have delayed retail sales until July 1, 2027, and directed the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to set many licensing rules through regulations rather than detailed state law. It also would have reduced retail licenses from 350 to 200 through Jan. 1, 2029, changed the authority’s board to all gubernatorial appointees, removed required agricultural representation, and eliminated provisions, including the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund, tribal compact authority, and an illegal activity tip line.

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A Cary man was arrested after a monthlong investigation into a scam targeting a Jones County family, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

The Jones County Sheriff’s Office asked the SBI for assistance on March 18, 2026. x

The SBI’s Coastal District and the sheriff’s office arrested Christopher Aaron Murray, 40, of Cary. He was charged with one count of felony exploitation of a disabled or elderly person in a position of trust.

Murray was taken into custody Sunday and is pending a first court appearance scheduled for Monday.

The investigation remained ongoing, and investigators said there could be additional victims. Anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized was asked to contact the Jones County Sheriff’s Office or the SBI’s Coastal District office.