Musk Threatened OpenAI Founders With a “Most Hated” Warning
Just days before the Elon Musk vs. OpenAI trial got underway, the world’s richest man apparently had a different idea settle quietly. It didn’t go as planned.
According to a new court filing submitted by OpenAI’s lawyers, Musk reached out via text to OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman two days before the trial began, floating the idea of a settlement. When Brockman responded by suggesting both sides simply drop their respective suits, things took a sharp turn. Musk reportedly replied: “By the end of this week, you and Sam will be the most hated men in America. If you insist, so it will be.”
The Elon Musk OpenAI settlement texts were central to a legal push by OpenAI’s team to have the exchange admitted as evidence, but the judge ruled it inadmissible. No copies of the actual texts were included in the filing.
The lawsuit itself is wide-ranging. Musk is seeking to unwind OpenAI’s for-profit restructuring, force its technology into the public domain, void Microsoft’s licensing agreement with the company, and collect general, compensatory, and punitive damages along with his legal fees.
OpenAI’s countersuit, however, alleges that the entire legal campaign is less about AI safety and more about Musk attempting to extract money from a competitor’s success while hobbling its operations.
When OpenAI’s lawyers went public with the threatening texts, many observers noted on social media that it appeared to confirm exactly that narrative. The move to threaten then litigate, they argued, looks less like a principled stand and more like a pressure campaign.
Musk had previously taken the stand, where he could not escape questions about his own public statements. His sole expert witness at trial, meanwhile, has raised alarm about an AGI arms race adding another layer of complexity to what is already one of the most closely watched tech legal battles of the decade.
The trial continues.
