Musk Wanted to Merge OpenAI Into Tesla. When Rejected, He Left the Board in 2018

Court records from the Musk v. Altman trial show that in 2017, Musk proposed folding OpenAI entirely into Tesla, demanding majority control. OpenAI's leadership declined. Musk left the board in February 2018, asserting the organization would fail without the merger. The disclosure reveals his early intent to consolidate AI research under Tesla.