Sam Altman: ‘Elon Musk wants to own 90% of OpenAI’

Appearing in court on May 12th, Sam Altman stated that Elon Musk was obsessed with controlling all of OpenAI and demanded a massive stake.

“The initial figure Musk proposed was that he should hold 90% of OpenAI from the start,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said at the ongoing trial in California. “Even after calming down, he always wanted a majority stake.” Musk pressured the founders with the initial investment. However, the billionaire was “unwilling to commit in writing to an agreement that did not give him long-term control.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Photo: Reuters

Altman emphasized that the company was founded on the belief that no single individual should control AGI superintelligence. He and Greg Brockman, the current co-founder and chairman of OpenAI, tried to thwart Musk’s attempts to seize control. Ultimately, Musk left in February 2018.

“What’s etched in my memory is when he said we didn’t have 1%, meaning not even 1%, of a chance of success,” Altman said in court.

The testimony immediately provoked a reaction from Musk’s lawyers, who accused the OpenAI CEO of lying. “Are you completely trustworthy?” asked Steven Molo, Elon Musk’s lawyer. “Do you always tell the truth?”

“I believe I am an honest person,” Altman replied, his voice tense.

“That’s not my question, sir,” Molo snapped.

Altman was unexpectedly fired shortly after his dismissal in November 2023, with the OpenAI board citing a lack of transparency as the reason. According to Reuters , although he was reinstated a few days later, Altman still struggled to shake off his reputation for dishonesty in Silicon Valley.

On May 12, prosecutors from 10 US states demanded that Altman disclose a series of potential conflicts of interest before OpenAI proceeds with its IPO. According to a letter sent to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, obtained by AFP , Altman “has a history of serious self-serving behavior and conflicts of interest, creating significant risks to the company.”

The trial between Musk and Altman and OpenAI is entering its third week. In 2024, the Tesla CEO filed a lawsuit, accusing his former company OpenAI, Altman, Chairman Greg Brockman, and Microsoft – an early investor in OpenAI – of betraying its non-profit mission.

The trial, which began in a California federal court on April 28th and is expected to last several weeks depending on the progress of the proceedings, marks the first time Musk and Altman have faced each other in court. A nine-person jury will advise Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on whether to approve Musk’s proposals, including returning OpenAI to a non-profit model, dismissing Altman and Brockman, awarding $130 billion in compensation, and depositing that money into OpenAI’s non-profit foundation.

This is considered one of the most important legal disputes in the AI ​​industry, not only revolving around control of OpenAI but also raising questions about the balance between profitability, social responsibility, and safety in artificial intelligence development. The advisory panel and Judge Rogers are expected to deliver their ruling on May 18th.