Sam Altman Reveals Elon Musk’s ‘Nerve-Wracking’ Vision of Transferring OpenAI to His Children

Sam Altman took the stand to defend his reputation during the Musk v. Altman trial on Tuesday, as Elon Musk’s attorneys inundated the OpenAI CEO with hours of inquiries about his purported history of deceptive conduct.

The cross-examination marked a necessary triumph for Musk, who has faced challenges in building a compelling case. Tuesday’s testimony featured several intense exchanges, during which the OpenAI CEO addressed allegations from former colleagues indicating he’s untrustworthy.

Emphasizing this evidence is crucial not only for Musk’s chances of swaying the jury but also for prevailing over OpenAI in public perception. Just days prior to the trial, Musk messaged OpenAI president Greg Brockman, warning that he and Altman would soon become “the most hated men in America.”

Musk’s lawsuit claims that Altman essentially misappropriated the OpenAI charity, claiming he took the $38 million Musk contributed to the nonprofit and redirected it to establish a for-profit enterprise valued at over $850 billion.

However, the evidence presented on Tuesday did little to fill the gaps in Musk’s legal argument. Both Altman and Sam Teller, Musk’s former chief of staff, stated they did not remember Musk imposing any specific conditions on his donations to OpenAI. Furthermore, it seems increasingly probable that Musk filed his lawsuit too late, years after his last contribution to OpenAI, having grown suspicious that the organization had violated its charitable trust. By that time, the statute of limitations had likely lapsed.

Brockman and his spouse, Anna, were present in the gallery, joined by OpenAI’s chief futurist, Joshua Achiam. While Altman and Brockman observed Musk’s testimony, Musk did not remain for Altman’s. (Flight records indicate he was en route to the Washington, DC, area on Tuesday to fly to China with President Donald Trump.)

Before answering questions from Musk’s attorneys, Altman had the opportunity to share his account, responding to gentle inquiries from OpenAI’s legal team. Dressed in a purple tie, Altman portrayed himself as an entrepreneur and investor consistently intrigued by, and concerned about, the implications of artificial intelligence.

Altman testified that Musk has long harbored aspirations of controlling OpenAI. He recounted “a particularly alarming moment” when Musk suggested that control of OpenAI should transfer to his children if he were to pass away. “We didn’t feel comfortable with that,” Altman remarked. He also indicated that Musk’s effort in 2018 to launch an AI division within Tesla—and offering him the opportunity to lead it—felt like a “vague, lightweight threat” implying that Musk would effectively overpower OpenAI with or without his involvement.

Bombarding Altman

Steven Molo, Musk’s attorney, wasted no time during his cross-examination, posing the question: “Are you completely trustworthy?” as his first inquiry. Altman replied that he believes so, but Molo promptly asked whether the jury should trust his prior testimony. Altman responded, “That’s up to them. I’m not going to tell the jury what to think.” Here’s how the heated exchange unfolded, as best as WIRED captured it:

Molo: Do you always tell the truth?

Altman: I’m sure there are times in my life when I have not.

Molo: Do you tell lies to advance your business interests?

Altman: No.

Molo: Have you misled people with whom you do business?