Elon Musk described the court ruling in the OpenAI case as "technical" and said he would appeal it.

The day before, the jury reached a verdict in favor of the defendant.

Yesterday, the court hearing Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI management concluded that the businessman had delayed filing the claim for too long. According to the jurors, the three‑year statute of limitations had expired, so the case is deemed invalid.

Court Proceedings

- Jury decision: Musk failed to file the suit on time; three years have passed since its submission.
- Judge’s ruling: Judge Ivonne Gonzalez‑Rojas immediately affirmed the verdict, noting that the question of the legitimacy of the accusations was not considered – the case is closed due to limitation.
- Musk’s response: The businessman and his attorneys announced an intention to appeal the decision in appellate court.

Musk posted a comment on X, emphasizing that “Altman and Brockman truly enriched themselves at the expense of the charitable organization,” but the issue is only when it happened. His attorney left the client the right to appeal; however, the judge responded skeptically and expressed readiness to dismiss it “on the spot,” citing sufficient evidence.

Case Context

- Musk’s history with OpenAI: He was one of the founders in 2015, left the board after three years. In 2024 he filed a lawsuit against Sam Altman and the company, accusing them of breaching the obligation to maintain nonprofit laboratory status.
- Donation: Musk claims he invested about $38 million on the condition of working for humanity’s benefit. According to OpenAI lawyers, the donations were unconditional; the company’s restructuring was necessary to compete with Google DeepMind. They also claim that Musk himself proposed a commercial format and even pushed for a merger with Tesla.

Party Responses

- OpenAI: A representative noted that the decision is “non‑technical” – it acknowledges that the suit was filed too late. They express satisfaction with the outcome.
- Microsoft: Microsoft’s lawsuits were also dismissed. The company’s lawyer emphasized that the facts and chronology of the case have long been clear, and they continue to work on developing AI for people and organizations worldwide.

Thus, the jury confirmed the expiration of the statute of limitations, and both parties – Musk and OpenAI (including Microsoft) – plan further legal steps.