‘Not OK to steal a charity’: Elon Musk testifies in OpenAI trial

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · Apr 29, 2026 · 860 words · By Roselyne Min

Corporate Governance Dispute AI safety and control Non-profit vs. For-profit Ethics

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What to know about Corporate Governance Dispute

In his opening statement, Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, said Altman and Brockman, with Microsoft’s help, had taken control of a charity “whose mission was the safe, open development of artificial intelligence”.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

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

What happened

Why it matters

Musk is seeking damages and Altman’s removal from OpenAI’s board.

Common ground

Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive and an early co-founder of OpenAI, took the stand on Tuesday in a high-stakes trial over his dispute with former friend Sam Altman, in a case that could affect the future direction of artificial intelligence (AI).

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: 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 Corporate Governance Dispute story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Musk recounted his version of OpenAI's founding, which he said essentially happened because of a discussion he had with Google co-founder Larry Page?
How does this story connect Corporate Governance Dispute with AI safety and control over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/04/29/not-ok-to-steal-a-charity-elon-musk-tes…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques 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.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling 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 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

schedule Pending 5

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “Musk recounted his version of OpenAI's founding, which he said essentially happened because of a discussion he had with Google co-founder Larry Page”

CORROBORATED

NBC Bay Area and other reports confirm Musk testified that OpenAI's founding was influenced by a discussion with Larry Page.

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web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk testified on day two of his trial against OpenAI, saying he helped create the company as a nonprofit counterweight to Google and would not have backed it if the goal had been private profit.…
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/04/29/0311202/musk-testifi…

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web search NEUTRAL — Musk recounted his version of OpenAI's founding, which he said essentially happened because of a discussion he had with Google co-founder Larry Page, who called him a “specieist" for elevating the sur…
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/elon-musk-testimony-tr…

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web search NEUTRAL — Together, they co-founded OpenAI as a nonprofit. Their concerns over Google’s unchecked advancements in AI prompted them to create a lab with a heightened focus on safety. “My view is [OpenAI] exists …
https://altagic.com/blog/elon-musk-claims-he-founded-openai-…

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Claim 2: “Musk said he works 80 to 100 hours a week, doesn't take vacations and owns no vacation homes or yachts.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Times of India, Times Now) report Musk's claims of working 80-100 hours per week and his general stance on work ethic, though the specific detail about yachts/vacation homes is less explicitly detailed in the snippets but the work hours are well-documented.

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web search NEUTRAL — Businessman Elon Musk who leads Tesla, SpaceX and multiple other businesses, dedicates his time to work 80 to 100 hours per week, and occasionally, even exceeds that number! According to Musk ...
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitnes…

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web search NEUTRAL — The workplace culture advocated by Elon Musk, particularly his stance on long working hours, has drawn significant attention both within and outside the tech industry. An article from Evidence Network…
https://opentools.ai/news/elon-musks-work-ethic-revealed-adv…

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web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk, the tech titan known for SpaceX, Tesla, and more, has stirred up debate yet again with his bold statement: to succeed, you have to work like crazy. Musk, famous for his relentless work ethi…
https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/elon-musk-sa…

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Claim 3: “The kinship between Musk and Altman was forged in 2015 when they agreed to build AI more responsibly and safely than the profit-driven companies controlled by Google's Page and Sergey Brin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this specific claim in the provided search results.

info

Claim 4: “This included details about his move, at 17, from South Africa to Canada, where for a time Musk said he worked as a lumberjack among other odd jobs, then to the US.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia/Forbes bios that do not mention the specific details about moving to Canada at 17 or working as a lumberjack.

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

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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 — Mar 10, 2026 · Elon Musk cofounded seven companies, including electric car maker Tesla, rocket producer SpaceX and artificial intelligence startup xAI.
https://www.forbes.com/profile/elon-musk/

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Claim 5: “Musk was the biggest individual financial backer of OpenAI in the beginning, contributing more than $44 million (€38 million) to the then-startup.”

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 6: “The trial started on Monday at the US District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland, with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers and is expected to take two to three weeks.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the trial took place in the US District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland, presided over by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

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web search NEUTRAL — Jury Selection Begins For Elon Musk v. OpenAI Trial In California.Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, appointed in 2011 by President Barack Obama to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Cali…
https://www.forbes.com/sites/timkeary/2026/04/28/musk-v-altm…

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web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk testified for over seven hours across three days beginning April 28, 2026, in federal court in Oakland, California, declaring under oath that he was “a fool” for donating US$38 million to Op…
https://colombiaone.com/2026/05/09/elon-musk-openai-lawsuit-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Musk’s claims against OpenAI will be decided by a nine-person jury. To be sure, Judge Rogers on Friday, April 24, dismissed Musk’s fraud claims in his lawsuit. This means that the trial will proceed o…
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-inte…

verified

Claim 7: “Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive and an early co-founder of OpenAI”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and Forbes both confirm Elon Musk's role as a leader/CEO of Tesla and a co-founder of OpenAI.

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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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schedule

Claim 8: “Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018 after clashing with Altman.”

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 9: “He recounted the slew of companies he founded and runs, including SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company, Neuralink and others.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and Tesla's official site confirm Musk founded/leads SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company, and Neuralink.

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web search NEUTRAL — Elon Reeve Musk is a businessman and entrepreneur known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X, and xAI.Co-founder of Neuralink, the Boring Company, OpenAI, Zip2, and X.com (part of PayPal).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk

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web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk co-founded and leads Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and The Boring Company.Previously, Elon co-founded and sold PayPal, the world's leading Internet payment system, and Zip2, one of the first inte…
https://www.tesla.com/elon-musk

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web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk is CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.To support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:- Athletic Greens: https://athletic...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxREm3s1scA

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Claim 10: “Musk is seeking damages and Altman’s removal from OpenAI’s board.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (The Guardian, and other web search results) confirm that Musk is seeking damages and the removal of Sam Altman from OpenAI's board.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sam Altman, con man, or Elon Musk, sore loser? The core of Musk’s suit effectively accuses Altman of swindling him with the promise that OpenAI would operate as a nonprofit entity focused on safety an…
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/26/musk-altm…

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web search NEUTRAL — OpenAI has brushed off Musk’s allegations as a case of sour grapes aimed at undercutting its rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s own xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor. Both sides recount t…
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/musk-testifies-trial-sam-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Zoom in: Musk is seeking sweeping remedies, including changes to OpenAI's corporate structure, removal of Altman and Brockman, and damages that he has said should go back to OpenAI's nonprofit arm.
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/28/elon-openai-altman-trial

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Claim 11: “Altman, Musk, and other founders launched OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit organisation.”

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 12: “A year earlier, he reportedly made a failed bid to get more control over the company.”

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 13: “By 2017, about two years after OpenAI's founding, it became clear that OpenAI would need more money, and Molo said the founders eventually settled on the idea of creating a for-profit arm of OpenAI that would support the nonprofit.”

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 14: “bolstering Musk’s own xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.”

CORROBORATED

Cross-referenced reports from NBC Washington and RT News confirm the launch of xAI in 2023.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk’s xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/el…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk left OpenAI in 2018 due to disagreements with Altman, bought Twitter (now X) in 2022, and launched his own artificial intelligence firm xAI the following year.
https://www.rt.com/news/639301-musk-openai-trial/

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Claim 15: “In 2024, Musk filed the lawsuit against Altman, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and Microsoft over OpenAI’s shift away from its original non-profit structure.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Business Insider and Axios, confirm that Musk filed a lawsuit in 2024 against Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft regarding the shift to a for-profit structure.

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web search NEUTRAL — AI, Elon Musk, injunction, lawsuit, OpenAI, sam altman, Startups, suit. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/30/elon-musk-files-for-injunc…

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web search NEUTRAL — OpenAI is "not just developing but is actually refining" artificial intelligence technology "to maximize profits for Microsoft," it added. OpenAI did not immediately respond Friday to a request from A…
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/01/elon-musk-openai-sam-altman…

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web search NEUTRAL — In 2024, Musk sued OpenAI, Altman, and OpenAI president Greg Brockman over the AI company's transition to a for-profit entity.
https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-blasts-openai-bait…

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.