Altman Testifies Musk Sought Control of OpenAI Through Tesla Merger

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified May 12 in federal court that Elon Musk proposed folding OpenAI into Tesla—a move that would have eliminated the nonprofit's independent status. Altman rejected Musk's claim that OpenAI and Microsoft had "stolen" charitable assets. The testimony centers Musk's 2024 lawsuit alleging OpenAI abandoned its founding mission to build safe AI for humanity. The trial in Oakland continues through three weeks of testimony with nine jurors from the Bay Area.