A California federal jury ruled Monday that Elon Musk waited too long to file his lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft [1], [2].
The verdict ends a high-profile legal battle over the governance and mission of one of the world's most prominent artificial intelligence companies. By dismissing the claims, the court has reinforced the legal deadlines required for filing corporate disputes, preventing plaintiffs from reviving old grievances years after the fact.
The jury found the defendants not liable on all claims [2]. According to the court, Musk's claims were barred by the statute of limitations because he filed the lawsuit after the legal deadline had passed [1], [3]. A court spokesperson said to NBC News that the jury reached this decision unanimously [2].
The deliberation process was brief, taking less than two hours before the verdict was delivered on May 18, 2026 [3], [4]. The case involved Musk as the plaintiff against OpenAI, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and Microsoft [1], [3].
Musk criticized the decision following the ruling. "This is a terrible precedent for the future of artificial intelligence," Musk said [5].
Sam Altman expressed satisfaction with the outcome. "We’re pleased that the court recognized the importance of the statute of limitations in this rapidly evolving field," Altman said [3].
The ruling effectively closes the door on Musk's attempts to legally compel OpenAI to return to its original non-profit roots, or change its current operational structure, through this specific litigation.
“"The jury unanimously found the defendants not liable on all claims,"”
This ruling underscores the critical role of procedural law over substantive grievances in high-stakes tech litigation. By relying on the statute of limitations, the court avoided a complex ruling on the actual merits of OpenAI's transition from a non-profit to a capped-profit entity, instead providing a clear legal victory for the defendants based on timing. This sets a benchmark for how quickly founders or early investors must act to challenge corporate pivots in the AI sector.
