An Oakland, California jury rejected Elon Musk’s claims against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, after just two hours of deliberation on Monday and three weeks of testimony.
The 9-person jury did not rule on the merits of Musk’s complaint that OpenAI violated its original non-profit structure by evolving into a for-profit corporation, and instead said that Musk had not filed his lawsuit within the three-year statute of limitations, according to news reports.
According to CNBC, the court, led by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, agreed with the jury’s determination that Altman and OpenAI were not liable, and that “claims of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment are dismissed as untimely.”
Musk’s lawyer said he reserved the right to appeal, Reuters reported, but the judge suggested he may have an uphill battle because the question of whether the statute of limitations ran out before Musk sued was a factual issue. “There’s a substantial amount of evidence to support the jury’s finding, which is why I was prepared to dismiss on the spot,” U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said.
The jury’s rapid, unanimous decision follows a high profile, bitter courtroom battle between two of the tech industry’s most powerful players, and could clear the way for OpenAI to move forward with a highly anticipated initial public stock offering.
