Elon Musk contacted OpenAI President Greg Brockman to gauge interest in a settlement two days before their high-stakes trial got underway in Oakland federal court, according to a new court filing.
When Brockman suggested both sides drop their claims, Musk allegedly said, “By the end of this week, you and Sam [Altman] will be the most hated men in America. If you insist, so it will be,” the filing, made on Sunday, stated.
The exchange is the latest flashpoint in a lawsuit that has already grown combative inside the courtroom.
The SpaceX founder testified on Thursday that he did not read the fine print of a 2017 term sheet related to OpenAI’s shift from a nonprofit to a for-profit structure, only its headline.
Musk is suing OpenAI, alleging that its shift to a for-profit structure betrayed its original nonprofit mission to develop safe AI technology for the public good and that the company’s leaders wrongfully profited from his charitable contributions.
