A jury in Oakland, California, ruled on Monday that Elon Musk waited too long to sue OpenAI and its leaders, dealing a major win to the company and its founders.After about 90 minutes of deliberation, the jury found that Musk’s lawsuit was barred by the statute of limitations.The case had threatened to disrupt OpenAI as the company prepared for what could become a major IPO. The decision is a significant victory for OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and company president Greg Brockman.Musk, who helped cofound OpenAI and contributed $38 million during its early years, filed the lawsuit in February 2024. He alleged that OpenAI, Altman, and Brockman “stole a charity” when the organisation shifted to a structure that included a for-profit arm.Microsoft was also named as a codefendant for allegedly “aiding and abetting” the claims through its investments in OpenAI.Musk left OpenAI in 2018 and later launched his own AI company, xAI, in 2023.Although the jury served in an advisory role rather than making the final decision, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers indicated that she agreed with the outcome.“I think that there’s a substantial amount of evidence to support the jury’s finding,” she said to Musk’s attorney on Monday.This is a developing story.
