A federal jury in Oakland ruled Monday that Elon Musk waited too long to sue OpenAI and its co-founders, delivering a decisive victory to the AI company. The jury found that Musk's claims were barred by the statute of limitations, as he had been aware of the alleged issues for years before filing the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in 2025, alleged that OpenAI had breached its original nonprofit mission by prioritizing profits over public benefit. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who left the board in 2018, argued that the company's partnership with Microsoft and its shift to a capped-profit model violated its founding principles.
OpenAI's legal team successfully argued that Musk's delay in bringing the case prejudiced the company, as key evidence and witnesses had become unavailable over time. The jury agreed, delivering a verdict that effectively ends the legal challenge.
This ruling is a significant win for OpenAI, which has faced increasing scrutiny over its governance and profit motives. The company has stated it remains committed to its mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
