Jury Rejects Elon Musk’s OpenAI Claims in California Federal Trial

A federal jury in the Northern District of California has ruled against Elon Musk in his closely watched lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other company executives, bringing a major legal chapter in the dispute over OpenAI’s corporate transformation to a close. In Musk v. Altman, Musk alleged that OpenAI abandoned its founding nonprofit mission by prioritizing commercial expansion and investor interests over artificial intelligence safety principles.

The dispute originated from Musk’s February 2024 lawsuit, in which he argued that OpenAI’s transition toward a profit-driven structure violated the original understanding among the company’s founders. Musk also challenged OpenAI’s ties with Microsoft and sought remedies including corporate restructuring and governance changes.

Following a multi-week jury trial before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the jury concluded on May 18, 2026, that Musk’s claims were filed beyond the applicable statute of limitations period. As a result, the claims could not proceed on merits, effectively handing victory to Altman and OpenAI.

The case attracted global attention because it raised broader questions about AI governance, nonprofit accountability, and the commercialization of advanced artificial intelligence systems. OpenAI maintained throughout the proceedings that Musk’s lawsuit was commercially motivated following the launch of his competing AI venture, xAI.