OpenAI President Brockman: Musk Wanted Control, $80 Billion for Mars City - News and Statistics

May 6, 2026

In testimony on Tuesday, Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI, stated that Elon Musk supported transforming the artificial intelligence startup into a for-profit entity but demanded full control, partly to fund an $80 billion project to colonize Mars, according to a report from Reuters published on May 5.

Brockman, under questioning from an OpenAI attorney, said that in 2017 Musk argued that the nonprofit structure made it too difficult to raise the capital needed for advanced AI models. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI, wanted to become its leader if the change occurred, with Sam Altman, now OpenAI’s chief executive, as the only other candidate, Brockman testified.

During a particularly tense meeting, Musk claimed he deserved a majority stake due to his business experience, intending to use that stake to build a self-sustaining city on Mars. Brockman recalled Musk saying, ‘He needed $80 billion to create a city’ on Mars, adding that Musk insisted on full control and would decide when to relinquish it.

Musk is currently suing OpenAI, alleging the company improperly converted to a for-profit structure, abandoned its charitable mission, and should revert to a nonprofit. The trial, now in its second week in a California courtroom, may shape OpenAI’s future, which sparked widespread interest in generative AI after launching ChatGPT in late 2022.

Brockman also stated in court that OpenAI plans to spend $50 billion on computing resources in 2026.

Describing the August 2017 meeting, Brockman said it began well, with Musk having recently gifted Teslas to some OpenAI employees and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever presenting a portrait of a Tesla to Musk. However, the meeting deteriorated when Musk became angry over a proposed equity structure he disliked, saying, ‘I decline.’ Brockman testified that Musk stood up and moved toward him so quickly that he feared Musk would strike him, but Musk instead grabbed Sutskever’s painting and left abruptly, threatening to withhold new funding until matters were resolved.

Musk alleges that Altman tricked him into donating $38 million to the nonprofit, only for it to later abandon its charitable goals and become a for-profit company for personal enrichment.

1. INTRODUCTION

Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

REPORT DESCRIPTION
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A Quick Overview of Market Performance

KEY FINDINGS
MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO

3. MARKET OVERVIEW

Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT

5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES

6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
UNSATURATED MARKETS
TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS

7. PRODUCTION

The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

8. IMPORTS

The Largest Import Supplying Countries

IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

9. EXPORTS

The Largest Destinations for Exports

EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

11. COUNTRY PROFILES

The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
PRO

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