Musk demands $134B from OpenAI & Microsoft in AI lawsuit

A new court filing reveals that Elon Musk is demanding OpenAI and Microsoft pay between $79 billion and $134 billion in damages, marking one of the largest financial lawsuits in the artificial intelligence sector to date.

According to documents filed on Friday, the case is scheduled to be heard by a jury in Oakland, California, next April.

Musk alleges he was defrauded concerning $38 million he provided as seed funding when he co-founded OpenAI in 2015. The court filing clarifies that financial economist C. Paul Howan, an expert witness, calculated the potential damages based on what he described as "unjust enrichment.".

This calculation is based on the premise that Musk is entitled to a share of OpenAI's current valuation, estimated at around $500 billion. Musk stated, "I can't wait to start the trial. What will emerge in the discoveries and testimonies will astound you."

Musk is suing top OpenAI leaders, including CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, accusing the company of deviating from its original non-profit mission and misleading him about this shift.

In response, OpenAI published a blog post titled "The Truth Elon Forgot," refuting Musk's claims. They stated he sought complete control of the company and that OpenAI's leadership was previously surprised by his suggestion that his children should control artificial general intelligence (AGI) during succession planning discussions.

An OpenAI spokesperson told Business Insider: "Mr. Musk's lawsuit remains baseless and is part of an ongoing pattern of harassment. We will prove this in court. This latest frivolous demand is simply to escalate this campaign."

The company affirmed its continued focus on empowering the OpenAI Foundation, which it describes as one of the best-funded non-profits globally.