Musk did not handle questioning well in his lawsuit against ChatGPT’s developer.
The Elon Musk-Sam Altman courtroom showdown already promised plenty of fireworks. And in its first week, dominated by the world’s richest man taking the stand in a federal courthouse in Oakland, Calif., Musk v. Altman delivered more than a few surprises.
Musk’s aim on the witness stand was to clarify his OpenAI lawsuit under friendly questioning from his lawyer and to avoid appearing too arrogant or ignorant during questioning from the counsel for the OpenAI executives he’s suing.
Whether he succeeded in either goal is debatable—partly because Musk himself did not seem very open to questions.
But Musk certainly succeeded in drawing attention to his ongoing romantic co-parent relationship with his former chief of staff and making many question what exactly “TL;DR” stands for.
So here are the highlights from the Musk testimony we followed.
1. Musk claims this is about ‘looting every charity’
Musk explained a dispute over OpenAI’s nonprofit status to a jury as a battle for all charitable trusts, not just OpenAI’s. “The consequences of this case go far beyond me,” Musk stated. If OpenAI wins, it will set a precedent for “looting every charity.”
(Left unmentioned: Musk’s charity has consistently failed to give enough to qualify for charitable status for five years.)
Musk also claimed he’s “saving humanity” from AI that “could kill us all,” frequently referencing the Terminator movies.
2. OpenAI argues this is about Musk’s ‘sour grapes’
Musk didn’t voice objections when Microsoft invested in OpenAI in 2019. OpenAI’s success with ChatGPT, which began in 2022, triggered Musk’s “sour grapes.”
Under questioning, Musk described Microsoft’s investment as a “bait and switch.”
OpenAI counsel reminded the jury of Musk’s involvement with Donald Trump.
3. Musk reluctantly acknowledged a mother of his children
Under favorable questioning, Musk identified Shivon Zillis as his “chief of staff.” Laughter erupted, as she is also the mother of Musk’s children. Musk later admitted, “We live together and she’s the mother of four of my children.”
4. Musk’s interpretation of TL;DR
Asked to explain TL;DR, Musk said it means “Too Long, Don’t Read,” although it typically stands for “Too Long Didn’t Read.” Savitt challenged Musk for only reading part of a crucial OpenAI document.
5. Musk was testy on the stand
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, overseeing the trial, noted Musk was “at times difficult” and criticized his lawyer for leading questions. Musk was frustrated with yes or no questions, calling them “trick” questions.
Musk connected Savitt’s questions to a loaded question, which the judge dismissed.
Despite challenges, Musk concluded his testimony claiming, “I did take Law 101 in school.”