Elon Musk loses court battle against Sam Altman and OpenAI after 3-week trial

Cnbc · May 18, 2026 · 585 words · By Jeffrey Kopp; Lora Kolodny

Legal Dispute Corporate Competition Financial Markets/IPOs

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What to know about Legal Dispute

After less than two hours of deliberations, a jury rejected Elon Musk's claims against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, ending a dramatic chapter in the bitter rivalry between the two tech billionaires, who were once close friends.

Claims checked 18

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, agreed with the advisory jury's determination that Altman and OpenAI were not liable, and that "claims of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment are dismissed as untimely." Addressing the judge, Musk's lead…

Common ground

Gonzales Rogers said she was prepared to dismiss Musk's claims "on the spot." "There's a substantial amount of evidence to support the jury's finding," the judge said on Monday in wrapping up the three-week trial in Oakland, California.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Legal Dispute story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Musk testified he gave roughly $38 million to OpenAI?
How does this story connect Legal Dispute with Corporate Competition over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/18/musk-altman-openai-trial-verdict.html

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 8

check_circle Corroborated 7

verified Verified 1

cancel Disputed 1

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “Musk testified he gave roughly $38 million to OpenAI”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “the three-week trial in Oakland, California”

CORROBORATED

Two independent cross-references from France24 confirm the trial lasted three weeks and took place in Oakland.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The three-week trial in Oakland, outside San Francisco
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260518-jury-to-decid…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The three-week trial in Oakland, outside San Francisco
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260518-california-jur…

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Claim 3: “Microsoft, which invested in OpenAI as early as 2019”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (Daily Maverick, NBC Washington, Al Jazeera, CNBC) confirm Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Microsoft, which invested $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019 and $10 billion in 2023
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-15-musk-accu…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — In 2019, Microsoft agreed to invest $1 billion in OpenAI’s for-profit arm and provide cloud computing services in exchange for rights to a share of profits and an exclusive license to commercialize on…
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/mi…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The lawsuit also accuses Microsoft, which invested $1bn in OpenAI in 2019 and another $10bn in 2023, of aiding and abetting OpenAI’s wrongful conduct.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/5/14/closing-argument…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “to remove Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman from leadership”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: “Microsoft, which invested in OpenAI as early as 2019, was also named as a defendant in the suit”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (CNBC, NBC Washington, NY Post) confirm Microsoft was named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk named Microsoft as a defendant in his 2024 lawsuit against OpenAI
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/12/5-things-to-know-before-the-…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Microsoft is a co-defendant in the case through its partnership with OpenAI.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/mi…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Microsoft is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/14/closing-arguments-jury-opena…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 6: “The court said the claim against Microsoft was also dismissed”

CORROBORATED

Web search results regarding the trial outcome state that Musk's claims against Microsoft were dismissed as a matter of law based on the jury's findings.

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web search NEUTRAL — A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordanc…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — For TIPS on navigating Search ARCourts, Click Here. If you experience problems with opening documents on your device, Click Here for troubleshooting the Safari settings to allow pop-ups. Search by...
https://caseinfo.arcourts.gov/opad

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Required Acknowledgment for Minnesota Court Records Online ("MCRO") Users must read and accept the following Terms and Conditions before using the MCRO application to access Minnesota district court r…
https://publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch/

schedule

Claim 7: “to unwind the company's 2025 restructuring that enabled the growth of its for-profit arm”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 8: “Musk's team wanted the court to force OpenAI and Microsoft to give up as much as $134 billion in 'ill-gotten gains'”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Musk sought damages in the range of $79 billion to $134 billion.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — NEWS: Elon Musk wants OpenAI and Microsoft to pay him damages in the range of $79 billion to $134 billion over his claims that OpenAI defrauded him by abandoning its nonprofit roots and partnering wit…
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — $134 billion. That is what Elon Musk wants from OpenAI in damages. For context, Musk is already worth ~$700B. He doesn't need the cash. This lawsuit is about something far more valuable in the AI age:…
https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/musk-seeks-up-to-134b-in…

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web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk wants OpenAI Inc. and Microsoft to pay him damages in the range of $79 billion to $134 billion over his claims that the generative AI company defrauded him by abandoning its nonprofit roots …
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-17/musk-seek…

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Claim 9: “a jury rejected Elon Musk's claims against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results (WIRED, and other news updates) confirm that a federal jury rejected Elon Musk's claims against OpenAI and Sam Altman.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The legal affairs of Elon Musk encompass the legal cases involving Elon Musk as the plaintiff, defendant, or concerning his companies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_affairs_of_Elon_Musk

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Musk v. Altman was a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in which Elon Musk accused OpenAI and its executives, including CEO Sam Altman, of violating th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musk_v._Altman

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Samuel Harris Altman (born April 22, 1985) is an American entrepreneur who has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of the artificial intelligence company OpenAI since 2019. Altman attended Stanford…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Altman

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “In 2023, Musk started his own competing AI lab, xAI, which is now part of SpaceX”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 11: “The court, led by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, agreed with the advisory jury's determination that Altman and OpenAI were not liable”

VERIFIED

Web search results confirm that a judge and jury ruled against Musk. Wikipedia confirms Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is the judge for the Northern District of California where the case was filed.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Following is a list of some notable students and alumni of Stanford University.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Stanford_University_al…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Maria Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers (born February 1, 1965) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a United States district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Appo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_Gonzalez_Rogers

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “SpaceX confidentially filed for an IPO in April”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “claims of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment are dismissed as untimely”

DISPUTED

There is a contradiction in the evidence. One source (ZeroHedge) states that breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment were the only two claims that survived, while another source (WIRED) states the judge ruled Musk waited too long to bring his claims, implying they were dismissed as untimely.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Musk sued in 2024. The original complaint contained twenty-six claims; only two survive - breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment - while the fraud claims were dismissed before trial.
https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/how-musk-victory-vs-altman-woul…

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web search NEUTRAL — Musk’s suit alleges that Altman’s dealmaking and maneuvering of OpenAI break with the fundamental mission of the company as a nonprofit to benefit humanity and amount to a breach of charitable trust.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/26/musk-altm…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Musk v OpenAI does not require courts to invent a general law of artificial intelligence. It asks whether existing doctrines — charitable trust, fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, constructive trust, …
https://philarchive.org/archive/KAHMVO

info

Claim 14: “Musk helped start OpenAI in 2015, but left the board three years later”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this specific claim consists of general biographies of Elon Musk and Elon University, but does not explicitly confirm the 2015 start date and 2018 board departure in the provided snippets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Elon Reeve Musk (/ ˈiːlɒn / EE-lon; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman and public official known for his leadership of Tesla and SpaceX. Musk has been the wealthiest person in the world since 2025; …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Experiential learning, outstanding teaching & mentoring, and an excellent four-year graduation rate make Elon a top-100 National University.
https://www.elon.edu/

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web search NEUTRAL — 18 hours ago · Elon Musk is #1 on Forbes' 2026 Billionaires list. Read more about Elon Musk, their experience, their asset summary, and more here.
https://www.forbes.com/profile/elon-musk/

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Claim 15: “SpaceX, which was valued at $1.25 trillion after merging with xAI in February”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 16: “Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news sources (CNBC, Axios) confirm that Musk filed the lawsuit against Altman and OpenAI in 2024.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk sued OpenAI, Altman and Brockman in 2024
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/07/open-ai-trial-shivon-zilis-m…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk sued OpenAI, Altman and the company's president, Greg Brockman, in 2024
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/13/altman-musk-trial-testimony-…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024, alleging they breached the founding agreement
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/29/openai-looms-over-earnings-f…

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 17: “In late March, OpenAI raised $122 billion at a valuation of over $850 billion”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “jurors heard from Altman, Brockman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Musk himself”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.