Jury dismisses Elon Musk lawsuit against OpenAI citing statute of limitations
A federal jury in Oakland, California unanimously dismissed all claims in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Monday, May 18, 2026. The nine-member advisory jury found that Musk waited too long to file suit, ruling his claims fell outside the three-year statute of limitations. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers immediately accepted the verdict. Musk had sought 150 billion dollars in damages and the removal of Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman from their leadership positions. He alleged that OpenAI executives breached a charitable trust by abandoning the nonprofit's founding mission and creating a for-profit subsidiary that made insiders wealthy. OpenAI argued Musk knew about the company's direction years earlier and sued only after launching his own competing AI company, xAI. The jury deliberated for less than two hours without addressing the merits of Musk's underlying accusations. Musk vowed to appeal, calling the decision a calendar technicality, while OpenAI lawyers called it a hypocritical attempt to sabotage a competitor.
Key facts
- Nine-member jury unanimously found Musk exceeded three-year statute of limitations for breach of charitable trust claim
- Jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching verdict
- Musk sought 150 billion dollars in damages plus removal of Altman and Brockman from leadership
- OpenAI valued at approximately 852 billion dollars and planning public market debut
- Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and donated 38 million dollars during early years
- Musk left OpenAI board in 2018 and launched competing AI company xAI in 2023
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning outlets highlighted concerns about charitable mission betrayal and questioned whether the statute of limitations technicality allowed OpenAI to escape accountability for transforming from nonprofit to profit-focused. Some coverage suggested Musk's concerns about AI governance and public benefit were overshadowed by procedural dismissal.
Limits of this briefing
Right-leaning media outlets did not provide significant coverage of this verdict in available sources. The jury's decision on statute of limitations means the underlying factual and legal merits of Musk's claims were never addressed, leaving questions about OpenAI's charitable obligations unresolved.
Sources
- NPR: Jury dismisses all claims in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Centre
- Washington Post: Jury rejects Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman Centre
- CNN: Musk loses case against OpenAI Centre
- CNBC: Musk slams Altman trial verdict as a 'technicality,' vows to appeal Centre
- Al Jazeera: Elon Musk loses US lawsuit against OpenAI Centre