Elon Musk and OpenAI civil lawsuit goes to court, seeking $134 billion in damages

CryptoWorld News reports that the civil lawsuit between Elon Musk and OpenAI was heard in court in Oakland on April 28. Musk’s chief attorney, Steven Morro, stated that without the $38 million in early funding Musk provided and the recruitment of top AI scientists, OpenAI would not have existed. Musk is seeking up to $134 billion in damages, demanding that these funds be returned to the company’s nonprofit division.

After five hours of questioning, the jury was seated. Many prospective jurors said they were dissatisfied with Musk. Judge Gonzales Rogers acknowledged, “People don’t like him,” but said he had confidence in the jury’s impartiality. The case involves two subsisting claims: breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.

Musk is not seeking personal compensation; instead, he is asking that any damages be returned to OpenAI’s charity division. In October 2025, OpenAI reorganized into a public benefit corporation, and the nonprofit division holds 26% of the shares. It is expected that during the four-week trial, Musk, Altman, Brockman, and others will testify.