A years-long tech legal brawl between Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to arrive in a federal courthouse in Oakland, California on Monday, 27th of April, 2026 kicking off with jury selection in one of the most consequential tech trials in recent memory.
The case, slated to run roughly four weeks, centers on Musk’s contention that when he and Altman co-founded OpenAI, they agreed to charter it as a nonprofit dedicated to developing artificial general intelligence for the benefit of humanity not for commercial profit.
Musk alleges that Altman ignored that founding charter, running OpenAI as a profit-making venture and using its charitable assets including $38 million donated by Musk himself to enrich himself and others.
On the eve of trial, Musk dropped his fraud claims, narrowing his lawsuit down to two remaining allegations: unjust enrichment and breach of charitable trust.
Beyond financial damages, Musk is seeking a court order to remove Altman as a director from OpenAI’s nonprofit board and to strip both Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman of their roles in the for-profit arm of the company.
Musk’s lawyers have put the potential damages figure at $134 billion, money they argue should be returned to OpenAI’s charitable mission. OpenAI, for its part, has dismissed the lawsuit as a “harassment campaign driven by ego, jealousy, and a desire to slow down a competitor.”
The stakes extend far beyond the two men at the center of the dispute. OpenAI is currently valued at $852 billion and is expected to go public this year in what could be the biggest IPO in history a prospect that hangs directly over the outcome of the trial.
Among those expected to testify are OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever, President Greg Brockman, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella , whose company backed OpenAI’s 2019 pivot to a for-profit structure with a $1 billion investment.
Presiding Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, known for running a tight courtroom, has allotted each side 22 hours to present their full case, signaling that this closely watched showdown will move swiftly even if its implications for the future of AI will be felt for years to come.
