Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI, testified in a California courtroom on Tuesday that Elon Musk supported converting OpenAI from a nonprofit into a for-profit entity but wanted to secure full control of the company, in part so he could raise roughly $80 billion to colonize Mars.
Background of the lawsuit
Elon Musk — an early investor in OpenAI — has sued the company. Musk, the leader of Tesla and SpaceX, alleges the startup's founders betrayed the organization's mission when the 2015 nonprofit transitioned to a for-profit structure after his departure in 2019. He is seeking $150 billion in damages and wants Sam Altman and Greg Brockman removed from their leadership roles.
Key points from Brockman’s testimony
Answering questions from one of OpenAI’s lawyers, Brockman said Musk in 2017 urged changing the corporate structure because it would be too difficult to raise the funds needed to develop advanced AI models as a nonprofit. Brockman said Musk made it clear he wanted to lead OpenAI if the transformation took place; the other candidate for that role was Sam Altman.
Brockman recounted a tense corporate meeting at which Musk argued that his business experience entitled him to a majority stake in OpenAI. According to Brockman, Musk said he would use such a stake to build a self-sustaining city on Mars. Brockman quoted Musk: “He said he needed $80 billion to build a city on Mars.” Brockman added, “In the end, he wanted full control.”
OpenAI leadership’s response
OpenAI’s current leaders say Musk is chiefly upset that he left the board before the company’s later successes. They contend Musk has brought the lawsuit in part to strengthen his own AI venture, xAI, which is now part of SpaceX.
Why this matters
The testimony highlights power struggles among tech founders, investors, and executives and underscores the financial and strategic pressures surrounding advanced AI development. The legal outcome and the decisions taken by the companies involved could influence both the business models and regulatory approaches to artificial intelligence.
Timeline (notable dates and events)
- 2015: OpenAI founded as a nonprofit.
- 2017: Brockman says Musk pushed for structural change and signaled leadership ambitions.
- 2019: OpenAI shifted to a for-profit model after Musk’s departure.
- Tuesday: Greg Brockman testified in California court about Musk’s $80 billion Mars plan and leadership aims.
(Reporting based on Reuters coverage.)
