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Musk Seeks Up to $134 Billion From OpenAI and Microsoft After Judge Clears Case for Jury Trial

The bid rests on an expert valuation grounded in unsealed 2017 notes the judge cited in allowing the case to go to a jury.

Overview

  • A federal judge in Oakland denied dismissal bids and set a late‑April 2026 jury trial to hear Musk’s core claims over OpenAI’s nonprofit and open‑source commitments.
  • The court said a jury must decide whether Microsoft had actual knowledge of any breach, though it tossed Musk’s unjust‑enrichment claim against Microsoft.
  • Musk’s filing seeks disgorgement of $79–$134 billion based on expert C. Paul Wazzan’s estimate of OpenAI’s $65.5–$109.43 billion and Microsoft’s $13.3–$25.06 billion in alleged wrongful gains.
  • Recently unsealed 2017 notes from OpenAI co‑founder Greg Brockman, including the line “cannot say that we are committed to the non‑profit,” feature prominently in Musk’s evidence.
  • OpenAI calls the case baseless, warned investors to expect “deliberately outlandish” trial claims, and says any liability should not exceed Musk’s $38 million donation, while Microsoft denies wrongdoing.