OAKLAND, Calif. \u2014 OpenAI\u2019s president Greg Brockman got grilled by Elon Musk\u2019s lawyer on Monday over embarrassing diary entries from nearly a decade ago in which he fantasized about becoming a billionaire \u2014 even as the then-nonprofit charity got millions in donations from Musk.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancially what will take me to $1B?\u201d Brockman wrote in the digital journal in 2017, referring to the idea of converting OpenAI to a for-profit entity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been thinking that maybe we should just flip to a for profit,\u201d Brockman allegedly wrote. \u201cMaking the money for us sounds great and all.\u201d<\/p>\n
OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman. Getty Images<\/p>\n
But Brockman \u2014 who, along with CEO Sam Altman, is being targeted by Musk for removal from OpenAI in a federal lawsuit in California that claims they violated the company\u2019s charitable mission \u2014 also wrote down his reservations about the wildly lucrative game plan, court documents show.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan\u2019t see us turning this into a for-profit without a very nasty fight,\u201d Brockman wrote in his diary. \u201cIt\u2019d be wrong to steal the non-profit from him. That\u2019d be pretty morally bankrupt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brockman added, referring to Musk: \u201cHe\u2019s really not an idiot. His story will correctly be that we weren\u2019t honest with him in the end about still wanting to do the for-profit just without him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brockman said in his testimony that his stake in OpenAI is now worth nearly $30 billion.<\/p>\n
Musk\u2019s attorney Steven Molo grilled Brockman over the explosive journal entries \u2014 which first surfaced in court papers in January \u2014 questioning how they squared with Brockman\u2019s repeated claims that all business decisions focused on OpenAI\u2019s mission of benefiting humanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At one point, Molo raised his voice \u2013 \u201cMy question is very simple \u2013 you were worried about what will take me to $1 billion?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brockman, at times visibly tense and uncomfortable, repeatedly insisted that his push to shift OpenAI to a for-profit entity was always meant to serve the mission and that any personal financial motivations were secondary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elon Musk in Oakland federal court. Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all agreed we\u2019d create\u00a0a for-profit,\u201d Brockman replied. \u201cThere was a fork in the road \u2013 we either accept Elon\u2019s terms or compete against him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pair clashed during numerous exchanges, with Molo repeatedly shooting back, \u201cThat\u2019s not my question.\u201d\u00a0The testy exchanges at one point led US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers<\/a> to step in calling Molo\u2019s questioning \u201cargumentative.\u201d<\/p>\n OpenAI CEO Sam Altman watched intently inside the courtroom and the pair shared a brief and serious glance as Brockman left the courtroom during one break from proceedings.<\/p>\n The fireworks came the morning after a new court filing revealed that Musk pressured OpenAI leaders<\/a> to cut a deal on the eve of the high-profile court battle \u2013 warning cofounder Greg Brockman that he and Sam Altman were about to become the \u201cthe most hated men in America.\u201d<\/p>\n Musk, who alleges that OpenAI violated its non-profit mission in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit<\/a>, texted Brockman two days before the trial began to \u201cgauge interest in settlement,\u201d OpenAI\u2019s attorneys stated in the filing.<\/p>\n Brockman at Oakland federal court. REUTERS<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Mr. Brockman responded with a suggestion that both sides drop their respective claims, Mr. Musk shot back: \u2018By the end of this week, you and Sam will be the most hated men in America. If you insist, so it will be,\u2019\u201d the filing says<\/a>.<\/p>\n Musk claims that OpenAI and Altman manipulated him into giving $38 million<\/a> to a nonprofit before it turned into a for-profit entity. <\/p>\n