Elon Musk Now Seeks Removal of Sam Altman from OpenAI Nonprofit Board, Amends Lawsuit

The long-running feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has now taken another dramatic turn. For those unaware, OpenAI was founded back in 2015 as a non-profit company. Back then, Elon Musk was the co-chair of the company before leaving in 2019, alleging that the company had undermined its mission and was racing toward profitability after partnering with Microsoft. Fast forward to March 2024, Elon Musk sued OpenAI and Microsoft. At the time, OpenAI hit back at Elon Musk by denying all the allegations.

Musk moves to oust Altman as OpenAI feud reaches boiling point

Now with the court trial set for later this month, Musk has reportedly amended the lawsuit, seeking the removal of Sam Altman. That’s according to The Wall Street Journal, which reports that the amendment seeks the removal of the OpenAI CEO from its nonprofit board. Musk has reportedly also requested that Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman hand over any equity or financial gains to the organization’s charitable arm.

Not to forget, some reports from earlier this year hinted that Musk wanted a whopping $134 billion in damages from OpenAI. Well, Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, has now opened up about the amended suit and made it clear that the Tesla boss is “not seeking a single dollar for himself.”

Here’s a statement provided by Toberoff to The WSJ:

He is asking the court to return everything that was taken from a public charity—and to make sure the people responsible are never in a position to do this again. That was the essence of his complaint from the outset of this case, until OpenAI’s spin doctors got to work distorting it. This filing sets the record straight.

OpenAI blasts Musk in the latest response

Earlier today, referring to the lawsuit amendment, OpenAI has blasted Musk with a strong statement on X, which reads:

Today, at the eleventh hour, Elon lodged a court filing pretending to change his tune about attacking the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation.

The truth is that this case has always been about Elon generating more power and more money for what he wants. Having increasingly realized that his attempt to damage the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation rests on a baseless legal case, Elon is once again trying to change the narrative and save face as the trial approaches. His lawsuit remains nothing more than a harassment campaign that’s driven by ego, jealousy, and a desire to slow down a competitor.

Last year, Altman and Musk have been involved in multiple banters over on X. No doubt, the courtroom trial of this high-profile case will be something everyone will be keeping an eye on. It will be interesting to see who comes out victorious in the long-running feud between top AI juggernauts.