Expect ‘deliberately outlandish’ claims from Musk
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI Inc., during a media tour at the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, United States, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty Images
OpenAI sent a letter to investors and banking partners on Thursday, warning that it expects Elon Musk to make “deliberately outlandish, attention-grabbing claims” during the April trial of his lawsuit against the AI lab.
The hearing will mark a public escalation of Musk’s years-long feud with OpenAI, and the company’s letter will serve as an attempt to preempt and ease investors’ concerns. OpenAI has raised billions of dollars from venture capitalists and its valuation has risen to $500 billion.
Musk founded OpenAI as a nonprofit research company in 2015 with several other researchers and executives, including the startup’s CEO, Sam Altman.
He filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2024, claiming he was “meticulously manipulated” and “deceived” after the AI company explored turning into a for-profit organization and built a “transparent network of for-profit OpenAI subsidiaries,” including its multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft.
Musk stepped down from OpenAI’s board in 2018 but argued that he was owed “all intellectual property developed” for his contributions, potentially reaching billions of dollars, according to a complaint.
“We have strong defenses and are confident about our chances of winning the case,” OpenAI said in the letter viewed by CNBC. “Regardless, based on the record to date, we believe this case is worth no more than the $38 million Elon donated – but that’s not a guarantee.”
OpenAI declined to comment on the letter.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that the case would proceed to trial. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in August 2024.
According to the letter, OpenAI said it expected Musk to make comments about the AI company that were “not based in reality” and were “typical of harassment tactics he has employed previously.”
“Elon’s lawsuit remains unfounded and without merit, and our team is focused on ensuring the jury sees these allegations at face value,” OpenAI said. he said.
WRISTWATCH: OpenAI Investor Letter: Weekly and daily active user figures ‘continue to produce all-time highs’
