1 week Ago By Rob Thubron
What just happened? The long-running drama between OpenAI and Elon Musk took another turn today when the ChatGPT maker filed a countersuit against the world's richest person. OpenAI claims Musk has engaged in various actions to damage and disrupt the company, including public posts and a "sham" takeover bid. OpenAI's lawyers said in the new lawsuit that Musk should be enjoined from further unlawful and unfair action against the firm, and held responsible for the damage he has already caused.
"Musk's actions have taken a toll. Should his campaign persist, greater harm is threatened – to OpenAI's ability to govern in service of its mission, to the relationships that are essential to furthering that mission, and to the public interest," states the countersuit filing. Musk sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in 2024 over claims that the pair breached their original contractual agreements by putting profit ahead of developing AI that benefits humanity.
He ended the legal challenge in June without saying why . But Musk decided to launch another lawsuit against OpenAI in August, once again over allegations that the company and co-founders Altman and Greg Brockman had abandoned its founding mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity. OpenAI called Musk's lawsuits "incoherent" and "frivolous," denying that there was any kind of "founding agreement.
" Musk followed with yet another legal battle against OpenAI in November when he filed an injunction against the firm, several of its co-founders, and main investor Microsoft to prevent its transition to a for-profit entity. A federal judge denied the request in March but has allowed the case to go a jury trial in Spring 2026. Arguably Musk's most audacious act came in February when he led a group of investors in a $97.
4 billion bid for OpenAI. Altman replied at the time with a jokey offer to "buy Twitter for $9.47 billion.
" OpenAI's board of directors unanimously rejected the offer. Swindler Musk was one of the co-founders, backers, and initial board members of OpenAI, departing the company in 2018 over what he said was a conflict of interest with Tesla. OpenAI has retaliated to Musk's actions in the past.
After his first lawsuit, it published emails from his time at the company, showing how he supported the firm's plan to create a for-profit arm and encouraged it to raise at least $1 billion in funding. There was also a blog post it published in December titled "Elon Musk wanted an OpenAI for-profit," which shows a timeline of events leading up to the creation of Musk's rival AI company, xAI..
