Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI Heads to Jury Trial in 2026

Elon Musk’s high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI is set for a jury trial in spring 2026, as ruled by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The case centers on Musk’s claims that OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman strayed from the company’s original nonprofit mission to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity, not corporate gain.

Musk co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but exited before its rapid growth and later founded rival AI startup xAI in 2023. Last month, xAI acquired Musk’s social media platform X, in a deal valuing the platform at $33 billion, further intertwining Musk’s AI ambitions with his existing ventures.

The court denied Musk’s request to halt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model but agreed to expedite the trial. OpenAI and Altman maintain that the shift to a for-profit structure is essential to secure large-scale funding and remain competitive in the costly AI industry. They argue that Musk’s lawsuit is an attempt to undermine a key competitor.

OpenAI is under financial pressure as it seeks to raise up to $40 billion in new funding, led by Japan’s SoftBank. The tech investment group has reportedly committed $10 billion by mid-April and an additional $30 billion by December, contingent upon OpenAI completing its for-profit transition by year-end.

Earlier this year, Altman rejected a $97.4 billion unsolicited takeover bid from a Musk-led consortium, reaffirming that OpenAI is not for sale. With the trial now on the horizon, the legal battle between Musk and OpenAI marks a pivotal moment in the broader race for AI dominance.