Altman follows the footsteps of OpenAI’s president, Microsoft’s CEO, and others.
Published May 12, 2026, 4:05 PM UTC by Hayden Field, The Verge’s senior AI reporter with over five years of experience.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has started his testimony against Elon Musk in a high-profile jury trial in a California federal courtroom. Altman, together with OpenAI president Greg Brockman, is a primary defendant in the trial initiated by Musk. All three were initial founders of OpenAI, with Musk initially investing up to $38 million. Tensions later arose, leading to Musk’s departure to establish his competitor, xAI. Recently, Musk and Altman have exchanged criticisms and accusations, primarily fueled by Musk’s multiple legal actions against OpenAI, many now resolved.
The Musk v. Altman trial has already drawn significant figures from the AI industry, including Brockman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, and former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, now founder of her AI company. Musk demands several outcomes, including the removal of Altman and Brockman from their positions and a reversal of OpenAI’s for-profit restructuring.