Elon Musk Takes the Stand: “It’s Not Okay to Steal a Charity” — Dramatic First Day of Musk vs. OpenAI Trial

In a landmark courtroom showdown that could reshape the future of artificial intelligence, Elon Musk took the witness stand on Tuesday, delivering nearly two hours of testimony in his high-stakes lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman.

Speaking directly to the jury in federal court, Musk framed the case in strikingly simple terms: “It’s not okay to steal a charity.”

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, accused Altman and former president Greg Brockman of betraying the organization’s original nonprofit mission. He claimed they transformed it from an open, safety-focused project intended to benefit all humanity into a profit-driven powerhouse closely tied to Microsoft.

“I came up with the idea, the name, recruited the key people, taught them everything I know, and provided all the initial funding,” Musk testified. “It was specifically meant to be for a charity that does not benefit any individual person. I could have started it as a for-profit, and I specifically chose not to.”

He emphasized that he invested roughly $38 million in the early years and was open to a small for-profit arm only “as long as the tail didn’t wag the dog” — meaning the nonprofit mission had to remain in control.

Existential Warning on AI Risks

Beyond the corporate dispute, Musk used his testimony to sound a stark alarm about the dangers of unchecked artificial intelligence.

“I have extreme concerns over AI,” he said. The technology, he warned, is a double-edged sword: it has the potential to “solve all the diseases and make everyone prosperous,” but it “could also kill us all.”

Referencing classic science fiction, Musk made his vision for humanity’s future clear:

“We don’t want to have a Terminator outcome,” he stated. “We want to be in a Gene Roddenberry outcome, like Star Trek. Not so much a James Cameron movie like Terminator.”

He recounted earlier conversations with Google co-founder Larry Page, in which he expressed deep worries about AI safety. Musk said Page eventually stopped speaking to him after Musk recruited key researcher Ilya Sutskever from Google’s DeepMind to join the newly formed OpenAI.

Broader Implications

Musk told the court that the case goes far beyond one company. If OpenAI is allowed to abandon its founding principles without consequence, he argued, it could set a dangerous precedent: “If we make it OK to loot a charity, the entire foundation of charitable giving in America will be destroyed.”

His legal team is seeking to unwind OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit structure, remove Altman and Brockman, and claims damages exceeding $130 billion.

OpenAI’s side has pushed back strongly, arguing that Musk himself once supported elements of the transition and that the lawsuit is motivated by regret and competitive rivalry with his own AI venture, xAI.

The trial, which began with opening statements and jury selection the day before, is expected to last several weeks. Future witnesses are anticipated to include Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and several former OpenAI executives.

Musk is scheduled to continue his testimony on Wednesday.

As the world watches this clash between two of tech’s most influential figures, the case has become more than a business dispute — it is a public reckoning over how the most powerful technology of our time should be developed, governed, and controlled.

Will AI lead humanity to a utopian Star Trek future, or risk a dystopian Terminator scenario? The Oakland courtroom may not decide the fate of artificial general intelligence, but it could significantly influence who gets to steer its direction.