Lawyers for Elon Musk and OpenAI delivered their final appeals to a nine-person jury on Thursday, concluding a high-stakes legal battle in Oakland that could redefine the future of artificial intelligence. The trial, centered on Musk’s allegations that OpenAI abandoned its charitable roots for corporate profit, ended with sharp personal attacks on the credibility of both Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

The Case Against Altman: A “Pattern of Deception”

Elon Musk’s legal team, led by attorney Steven Molo, focused their closing argument on the character of Sam Altman. Molo argued that OpenAI’s shift from a scrappy nonprofit to an $850 billion powerhouse backed by Microsoft was a “calculated betrayal” of Musk’s initial $38 million investment.

• Witness Testimony: Molo highlighted that five witnesses—including former OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever and several ex-board members—testified that Altman had a “pattern of lying” or was fundamentally untrustworthy.
• The “Trust” Question: The defense pointed to a moment in Tuesday’s cross-examination where Altman reportedly hesitated to call himself “completely trustworthy,” using the pause to frame the CEO as a “con artist” who manipulated Musk into funding a mission that was later sold to the highest bidder.

The Defense: “Selective Amnesia” and Jealousy

OpenAI’s legal team, headed by Sarah Eddy and William Savitt, fired back by painting Musk as a disgruntled former partner motivated by his failure to gain unilateral control of the company in 2018.

• The Statute of Limitations: A central pillar of the defense was that Musk simply waited too long to sue. Lawyers argued that the “harms” Musk claims occurred years ago and that his current legal action is a strategic move to hobble a competitor to his own AI venture, xAI.
• The “Midas Touch”: In a scathing remark, Savitt told the jury that while Musk may be a visionary in other fields, his only “success” in AI has been through litigation. The defense further accused Musk of “selective amnesia” regarding his awareness of OpenAI’s need for massive for-profit capital to stay competitive.

What’s at Stake?

The jury must now decide if OpenAI breached its “charitable trust.” The potential consequences are massive:

• Financial Damages: Musk is seeking roughly $150 billion in damages, which he maintains should be paid back into OpenAI’s nonprofit arm.
• Leadership Ouster: The lawsuit calls for the removal of Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman from their roles.
• IPO at Risk: A verdict in Musk’s favor could derail OpenAI’s highly anticipated 2026 initial public offering, which is expected to be one of the largest in history.

While Altman and Brockman were present in the courtroom for the final arguments, Elon Musk was notably absent, currently traveling in China as part of a U.S. presidential delegation. Jury deliberations are expected to begin immediately, with a verdict that will likely set a global precedent for the ethical and legal boundaries of “nonprofit” technology development.