The federal jury in the lawsuit between 
Elon Musk and OpenAI chief Sam Altman retired Friday to deliberate, ending a weeks-long California trial over Musk's claim that his former co-founder "stole a charity" and cheated him along the way. The no-nonsense judge presiding over the case will take the jury's decision under advisement but ultimately decides which side prevails, the BBC reported.
Musk's central claim is that Altman lied about his commitment to OpenAI's non-profit status, an allegation Altman strongly rejects. The trial turned into more than one famous man's word against another's: a parade of high-profile tech witnesses, including OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, former board member Tasha McCauley and Microsoft chief Satya Nadella, said they had never seen evidence of any such commitment, the BBC reported. Nadella, whose company is a co-defendant accused of aiding Altman's alleged scheme, told the court Microsoft did extensive due diligence before investing billions.
Evidence ranged from explosive text messages to claims that free Teslas were offered in exchange for power, and Altman's own trustworthiness came under a harsh spotlight after a blistering New Yorker profile by Ronan Farrow. Pressed on cross-examination whether he was "completely trustworthy," Altman first answered "I believe so" before asking to amend it to "yes," in an exchange recounted by the BBC. The bigger questions for the technology industry sit beneath the personal feud, TechCrunch reported in a breakdown of what the jury must actually decide, framing the case as the biggest tech court fight of the year. Jurors also heard from former OpenAI board members and executives, some via videotaped depositions, detailing experiences they described as Altman failing to be forthright. At stake in the verdict is the future of one of the world's most valuable start-ups along with the reputations of both men.
Figures referenced: Elon Musk. — JudgeMarket.
