Musk v. Altman: Inside the courthouse as Microsoft’s $13 billion OpenAI bet goes on trial
By Todd Bishop
Published on April 27, 2026.
The trial of Elon Musk and Sam Altman, known as the "AI Trial of the Century," is taking place in Oakland, California, where Microsoft's $13 billion investment in OpenAI is on trial. The case involves allegations of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment against Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, CTO Kevin Scott, and CFO Amy Hood. The jury selection took place on Monday for jury selection, with both Musk and Altman present during the process. A victory for Elon Musk would result in a federal judge ordering Microsoft to pay a portion of what its OpenAI partnership has been worth, not to Musk, but to the OpenAI nonprofit. A loss could lead to regulators in the US and Europe questioning Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI and potentially lead to a shift in investment in AI-driven AI labs. Microsoft's defense claims it was never informed about any charitable restrictions attached to Musk’s contributions or duties owed to the company.
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