News + Trends
This is what the lawsuit between Elon Musk and OpenAI is about
by Samuel Buchmann
Jury rejects Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI
19/5/2026
Translation: machine translated
The richest man in the world has failed in court for the time being. The jury in California came to the conclusion that the events were already time-barred.
Elon Musk has lost his lawsuit against OpenAI and co-founder Sam Altman in a federal court in Oakland, California. After only two hours of deliberations, a nine-member jury came to the conclusion that Musk had filed his claims too late. The allegations were therefore time-barred. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers agreed with the jury's recommendation and dismissed the lawsuit.
Musk had accused Altman, OpenAI President Greg Brockman and Microsoft of converting an originally non-profit organisation into a for-profit company. In doing so, they had unlawfully enriched themselves with his invested money. He demanded a fundamental reorganisation of OpenAI, the dismissal of the company's top management and compensation of 100 billion US dollars.
At the heart of the case was the question of when Musk knew that OpenAI was seeking a for-profit structure. OpenAI referred to internal emails and messages that allegedly show that Musk was aware of such plans as early as 2017. In California, the statute of limitations for such claims is three years. The jury followed OpenAI's argument that the lawsuit filed in 2024 came too late and therefore did not deal in depth with the substantive allegations.
The judgement is an important victory for OpenAI. It gives the company more legal planning security - also with regard to a possible IPO, which Altman is reportedly aiming for this year. Musk reacted with criticism of the judgement and spoke of a decision based on a «calendar formality». He immediately announced an appeal. It remains to be seen when the next court will rule on this - and the hurdle for a successful challenge to the jury's decision is high.
Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
News + Trends
From the latest iPhone to the return of 80s fashion. The editorial team will help you make sense of it all.
Show allThese articles might also interest you
3 comments
later