Musk Admits xAI Trains on OpenAI Models During Explosive Trial Testimony
Elon Musk takes the stand in his landmark lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming Sam Altman deceived him into funding a for-profit venture. The dramatic testimony includes a surprising admission that Musk's own company, xAI, relies on OpenAI's models for training.
Elon Musk takes the stand in a packed Oakland courthouse to testify in his landmark lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming that CEO Sam Altman and president Greg Brockman deceive him into bankrolling the startup. He tells the jury he is a fool who provides $38 million in free funding to create what is now an $800 billion company, arguing that he originally donates to a nonprofit dedicated to benefiting humanity rather than making executives rich. Musk seeks to remove Altman and Brockman from their roles and unwind OpenAI's for-profit restructuring.
During the intense cross-examination, OpenAI's lawyer aggressively questions Musk's true motivations for filing the lawsuit. The courtroom experiences audible gasps when Musk confesses that his own AI company, xAI, distills OpenAI's models to train its Grok chatbot. This revelation directly contradicts his public stance against the very company he currently accuses of abandoning its founding mission.
The outcome of this high-stakes trial threatens to upend OpenAI's race toward an IPO at a nearly $1 trillion valuation. Simultaneously, Musk prepares to take xAI public through SpaceX as early as June, targeting a massive $1.75 trillion valuation. As inside testimony continues to unfold, protesters gather outside the federal courthouse holding signs that urge the public to boycott both ChatGPT and Tesla.