Musk says any winnings from OpenAI lawsuit will go to charity; $109B claim to go to trial in April

Recently, Elon Musk posted on X that any proceeds from winning the lawsuit against OpenAI will be donated to charity, with no personal gain.

The case, filed by Musk in 2024, accuses OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and partner Microsoft of abandoning OpenAI's non-profit founding mission and shifting to a profit-driven structure for commercial benefits. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who invested about $38 million in 2015 and left in 2018, now leads AI company xAI.

On March 13, the judge allowed Musk's expert witness's damage report, which estimates OpenAI could owe up to $109 billion (Microsoft's $25 billion claim is pending), but excluded punitive damages. The trial is set for April 28, though actual compensation may be lower due to statute of limitations or jury decisions. OpenAI and Microsoft deny all charges.