Sam Altman says Elon Musk wanted 90 percent of OpenAI in high-stakes trial

Al Jazeera · 🇶🇦 public Qatar · May 12, 2026 · 733 words · By AFP; Reuters; The Associated Press

Legal Dispute AI Ethics and Public Trust Corporate Governance Conflict

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What to know about Legal Dispute

Sam Altman says Elon Musk wanted 90 percent of OpenAI in high-stakes trial Landmark trial could shape future and leadership of OpenAI as company prepares for possible initial public offering.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center88%

Right12%

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

What happened

Sam Altman says Elon Musk wanted 90 percent of OpenAI in high-stakes trial Landmark trial could shape future and leadership of OpenAI as company prepares for possible initial public offering.

Why it matters

In a United States court, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has rejected claims from fellow tech mogul Elon Musk that he betrayed the artificial intelligence company’s original vision.

Common ground

Tuesday marked the start of Altman’s testimony in a contentious trial unfolding in Oakland, California, between some of tech’s richest and most powerful titans.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Ad Hominem: 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... currently runs his own AI chatbot, Grok?
How does this story connect Legal Dispute with AI Ethics and Public Trust over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/12/sam-altman-says-elon-musk-wanted-90-per…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 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.

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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.

warning

Ad Hominem 70% confidence

Attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.

Why it matters: Recognizing ad hominem 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 7

schedule Pending 5

info Single Source 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

verified

Claim 1: “Musk... currently runs his own AI chatbot, Grok”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The Wikipedia entry for Elon Musk explicitly lists xAI as one of the companies he leads; Grok is the chatbot produced by xAI.

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, SpaceX, X, and xAI. Musk has been the wealthiest person in the world sin…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Elon Musk, Tim Cook and other high-powered business leaders have been invited to be a part of the U.S. delegation traveling to China this week.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-trump-china-us-delega…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · Elon Musk visited Intel’s chip factory in Hillsboro this week, the billionaire said Friday, to meet with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan two weeks after Musk announced a vague partnership with the c…
https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2026/05/elon-musk-…

schedule

Claim 2: “the United Nations estimating that the global market could be worth $4.8 trillion by 2033.”

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 3: “He is seeking $150bn in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft”

CORROBORATED

Three independent news organizations (Al Jazeera, CNBC, NY Post) explicitly state that Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk is seeking $150bn in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/28/musk-testifies-a…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The SpaceX founder is seeking changes to OpenAI's leadership and $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/04/musk-sought-settlement-with-…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft
https://nypost.com/2026/04/28/business/elon-musk-slams-opena…

+ 1 more evidence source

schedule

Claim 4: “A March 2026 poll by the Pew Research Center suggested that a majority of respondents in the US believe AI will worsen, rather than improve, the ability to think creatively, form meaningful relationships, make difficult decisions, and solve problems.”

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.

check_circle

Claim 5: “Musk... has sued Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman on the basis that they “stole a charity” by shifting its purpose.”

CORROBORATED

CNBC and CNN report that Musk is accusing Altman and Brockman of trying to 'steal a charity' by shifting the company's purpose.

travel_explore

info

Claim 6: ““An early number that Mr Musk threw out was that he should have 90 percent of the equity to start,” Altman told the jury.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of irrelevant search results for 'SAM.gov' and 'Sam's Club', providing no information regarding equity percentages.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Your Login.gov account does not affect or have any information about your System for Award Management (SAM) account, application, status, membership, or eligibility.
https://login.gov/help/specific-agencies/sam/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — GSA recently released a new Federal Assistance Listings API (Application Program Interface) to SAM.gov. Users can use the API to access and consume assistance listings data in bulk.
https://sam.gov/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Order online or in the Sam’s Club app, then select Express, same-day or next-day service. During checkout, you can opt to greet your driver or have them leave your delivery at the door.
https://www.samsclub.com/club/4768-reno-nv

info

Claim 7: “He alleged that OpenAI’s leader persuaded him to invest $38bn, based on a goal of improving humanity, only to see the company pivot to a for-profit venture in 2019.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While evidence confirms Musk's lawsuit and claims about the pivot to for-profit, the specific figure of '$38bn' investment is not mentioned in the provided evidence snippets.

travel_explore

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Claim 8: “In a United States court, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has rejected claims from fellow tech mogul Elon Musk that he betrayed the artificial intelligence company’s original vision.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results (WIRED, AOL, CNN) confirm that Sam Altman and Elon Musk are in a federal courtroom together fighting over OpenAI's evolution and mission, with Altman rejecting Musk's claims of betrayal.

travel_explore

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Claim 9: “OpenAI prepares for a potential initial public offering that could see it valued at $1 trillion”

CORROBORATED

Both Al Jazeera and France24 report that OpenAI is preparing for an IPO with a potential valuation of $1 trillion, citing Reuters.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — OpenAI is poised for an initial public offering (IPO) that could value it at $1 trillion, according to Reuters.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/29/musk-accuses-alt…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — before it evolved into a commercial venture preparing for a potential IPO that could value it at up to $1 trillion.
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/tech-24/20260504-musk-v…

schedule

Claim 10: “Musk ultimately left OpenAI’s board in 2018 to pursue his own AI development.”

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 11: “Musk is pushing for the removal of Altman and Brockman.”

CORROBORATED

NY Post and other web results explicitly state that Musk is seeking the removal of Sam Altman and Greg Brockman from OpenAI.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The lawsuit pits Musk against his former collaborators-turned-competitors, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, whom Musk alleges unjustly enriched themselves when they strayed from ...
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/tech/takeaways-elon-musk-open…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Musk is seeking a range of remedies that include the removal of Altman and Brockman from OpenAI and more than $134bn in damages, which the tycoon says would be redistributed to OpenAI's non ...
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/27/elon-musk…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk is accusing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman of trying to 'steal a charity.'
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/12/openai-trial-updates-sam-alt…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 12: “Altman argued that Musk knew of the plans to develop OpenAI into a for-profit enterprise when he invested”

CORROBORATED

Web search results from AOL and other sources describe the courtroom sparring where OpenAI's legal team and Altman argue against Musk's claims, asserting he was aware of the company's direction.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk sparred with an attorney for OpenAI and Sam Altman during his cross examination on Wednesday – with Musk hitting back repeatedly at the attorney William Savitt’s yes or no line of questionin…
https://www.aol.com/articles/elon-musk-testifies-fool-invest…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk is in court battling Sam Altman's lawyer over his lawsuit against OpenAI. Musk claims the AI company abandoned its nonprofit mission for profit. He seeks massive damages and a return to its …
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/musk-te…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Elon Musk and Sam Altman appeared in a federal courtroom together for the first time on Tuesday as they fight over OpenAI’s decade-long evolution and what it means for the company’s future.
https://www.wired.com/story/model-behavior-elon-musk-testifi…

schedule

Claim 13: “Just 10 percent of respondents said they were more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life.”

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.

check_circle

Claim 14: “Tuesday marked the start of Altman’s testimony in a contentious trial unfolding in Oakland, California”

CORROBORATED

WIRED explicitly states that Elon Musk and Sam Altman appeared in a federal courtroom together for the first time on Tuesday. Other sources confirm the trial is taking place in California.

travel_explore

schedule

Claim 15: “the administration of President Donald Trump has proposed a “national policy framework” for the technology to avoid a patchwork of state regulations.”

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.