OpenAI Trial: Jury Deliberates in Elon Musk’s Charitable Trust Case - News and Statistics

May 16, 2026

Nine California jurors are currently deliberating on the future of OpenAI, according to a report from Yahoo Finance. The trial, which centers on Elon Musk’s case against OpenAI’s other cofounders and Microsoft, has addressed topics from the founders’ 2018 split to Sam Altman’s 2023 termination and reinstatement, though jurors face a limited set of questions.

OpenAI has presented three defense arguments for the jury to consider. Musk’s legal team alleges a breach of charitable trust, claiming the defendants understood Musk intended to support a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring AI benefits the world and preventing control by any single organization. They point to a $10 billion Microsoft investment in 2023 into OpenAI’s for-profit affiliate—the first after the statute of limitations—as the event that solidified Musk’s concerns. That deal, according to Musk’s attorneys, differed from earlier investments and enriched OpenAI’s investors at the expense of the AI safety mission Musk promoted.

OpenAI’s attorneys counter that no witness, including Musk’s financial adviser Jared Birchall, his chief of staff Sam Teller, or his special adviser Shivon Zilis, has described specific restrictions on Musk’s donations. They argue all parties agreed private fundraising was necessary to achieve goals, and note Musk himself attempted to launch an OpenAI-affiliated for-profit he would control and later merge OpenAI into Tesla. They also highlight that other donors have not claimed their charitable trust was violated. A forensic accountant hired by OpenAI testified that all of Musk’s donations had been used by the organization well before August 5, 2021, suggesting his donations were already spent before he filed the lawsuit, invalidating any potential charitable trust.

OpenAI further insists its for-profit affiliate, which handles most of its operations, continues to fulfill the mission and has generated nearly $200 billion in equity value to support the nonprofit foundation. Sam Altman argued that providing ChatGPT for free helps share AI benefits with the world.

If Musk prevails, it could mean the end of OpenAI as a for-profit entity, though the exact outcome remains unclear. Next week, the judge will begin new hearings where lawyers will debate potential consequences of a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs, though a negative verdict could render that process moot.

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
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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

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Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
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Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

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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

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