OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the witness stand Tuesday, May 12, 2026 [1], in a civil trial filed by Elon Musk.
The testimony represents a critical juncture in the legal battle over the governance and purpose of one of the world's most influential artificial intelligence companies. At stake is whether OpenAI deviated from its original non-profit mandate to become a commercial enterprise.
The proceedings took place in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California [2]. Musk's lawsuit alleges that Altman betrayed the founding mission of the organization, which was originally established to ensure AI benefits humanity, and accuses the CEO of stealing a charity [3].
During the trial, Altman defended the company's evolution and its current structure. The legal challenge focuses on the transition of OpenAI from a purely non-profit entity to a "capped-profit" model that allows for massive investment while maintaining a non-profit board of directors [3].
Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who left the board in 2018, argues that the company's current trajectory contradicts the openness and altruism promised at its inception [4]. The court must now determine if these shifts constitute a breach of the original agreement or a necessary evolution to compete in the global AI race [4].
Altman's appearance on the stand is the first time the chief executive has faced direct questioning in a courtroom regarding these specific accusations of betrayal and misappropriation [2].
“Altman defended the company against allegations that he betrayed its founding mission.”
This trial serves as a litmus test for the legal obligations of AI labs that begin as non-profits but scale into multi-billion-dollar commercial entities. If the court finds that OpenAI breached its founding charter, it could create a legal precedent affecting how other AI organizations structure their governance and manage the tension between public benefit and private profit.
