Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, testified in a U.S. court on Tuesday that Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, sought a 90 percent stake in the artificial intelligence company at one point, according to court proceedings in Oakland, California.

Musk Alleges Vision Betrayal

Musk has sued Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman, accusing them of “stealing a charity” by shifting the company’s purpose from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity in 2019. He alleged that Altman had convinced him to invest $38 billion with the promise of advancing a vision for AI that would benefit humanity.

Altman, however, rejected the accusation, describing Musk as a competitor who was “obsessed with exercising control over OpenAI.” He told the court that the idea of “stealing a charity” did not align with his understanding of the events that transpired.

Competing Visions for AI

The legal battle between Altman and Musk has long been fueled by their differing views on artificial intelligence; Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” currently runs Grok, an AI chatbot developed by his xAI company. Grok has been criticized for spreading right-wing conspiracy theories and offensive content.

Altman told the jury that Musk had been aware of OpenAI’s plans to become a for-profit organization when he invested in the company; he added that Musk had even petitioned for a majority stake, with an initial proposal of 90 percent equity.

“It then softened, but it always was a majority,” Altman said, according to court transcripts.

Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, one of its primary investors, and the trial, now in its third week, has seen both men testifying and countering each other’s claims about OpenAI’s direction and leadership.

Broader Implications for AI

The outcome of the trial could significantly impact the future of OpenAI, its leadership, and products like ChatGPT — Musk is also seeking the removal of Altman and Brockman from their positions. OpenAI is preparing for a potential initial public offering that could value the company at $1 trillion, a historically high figure for an AI firm.

During earlier testimony. Musk described Altman as untrustworthy, saying that having someone he considered dishonest in charge of AI posed a global risk; Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, also questioned Altman’s reliability, asking if he had ever misled people in business dealings. Altman denied doing so.

Altman, in turn, criticized Musk’s leadership, saying that Musk had struggled to manage a research lab effectively and had alienated key researchers at OpenAI. He noted that Musk had left the company’s board in 2018 to pursue his own AI projects.

Public sentiment toward AI remains divided, with a March 2026 Pew Research Center poll indicating that most Americans believe AI will worsen, rather than improve, abilities such as creativity, relationship-building, and decision-making. Only 10 percent of respondents expressed more excitement than concern about increased AI use in daily life.

As the U.S. approaches its 2026 midterm elections, AI has become an election-season issue. The administration of President Donald Trump has proposed a “national policy framework” for the technology to prevent a patchwork of state regulations. The AI industry, which has drawn massive investment in recent years, has become a key political force, with the United Nations estimating the global AI market could reach $4.8 trillion by 2033.