OpenAI CEO Sam Altman countersuing Elon Musk, alleges repeated harassment


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  • OpenAI has announced a counter-lawsuit against Elon Musk, accusing him of repeated harassment and requesting a judge stop him from any “further unlawful and unfair action.” Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are already engaged in another court case.
  • The move comes after Musk attempted to stop OpenAI from changing into a for-profit business.
  • Musk and Altman cofounded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk left the company before it became an AI powerhouse.

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OpenAI is countersuing Elon Musk.

In an announcement on Wednesday, April 9, the company accused Musk of continued harassment and called for a judge to block Musk from any “further unlawful and unfair action” against Open AI in a court case over the future business structure of a company that has spearheaded the advancement of artificial intelligence.

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What is Musk and Altman’s history?

Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cofounded the tech firm in 2015.

However, Musk departed from the company before it became the technological powerhouse it is today.

Musk has recently developed his own AI company, X.ai, and in 2023, attempted to stop OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, from changing to a for-profit business, which the company must do before the end of this year to be able to collect all $40 billion of its current fundraising round, according to Reuters.

What is OpenAI saying?

OpenAI wrote in its court filing, “Through press attacks, malicious campaigns broadcast to Musk’s more than 200 million followers on the social media platform he controls, a pretextual demand for corporate records, harassing legal claims and a sham bid for OpenAI’s assets, Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI.”

Altman’s company requested that the judge prevent Musk from any further alleged harassment and that he be “held responsible for the damage he has already caused.”

Musk’s legal team responded by mentioning a $94.7 billion bid to take over OpenAI this year from a Musk-led group of investors, which Altman rejected.

Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, tells Reuters, “Had OpenAI’s board genuinely considered the bid as they were obligated to do, they would have seen how serious it was. It’s telling that having to pay fair market value for OpenAI’s assets allegedly ‘interferes’ with their business plans.”

“Elon’s nonstop action against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of leading AI innovations for his personal benefit,” OpenAI said in a post on X.

What is the bigger picture?

Altman’s latest legal filings come after Musk sued OpenAI and Altman in 2024, accusing the AI company of deviating from its core mission, which Musk says was for the benefit of humanity, not for corporate profit.

OpenAI and Altman deny Musk’s accusations and contend that Musk is trying to hinder his competitors’ progress in artificial intelligence.

Musk has not personally responded to the latest court filings.

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Unbiased. Straight Facts.

Don’t just take our word for it.


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Awarded a perfect reliability rating from NewsGuard

100/100

Welcome back to trustworthy journalism.

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Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left characterized Musk's actions as a "malicious" and "relentless" campaign fueled by a personal vendetta, emphasizing OpenAI's claims of "harassment" and a "sham" takeover bid.
  • Not enough unique coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
  • Media outlets on the right highlighted Musk's concerns that OpenAI is abandoning its original mission, portraying his actions as a defense against OpenAI's "bad-faith tactics."

Media landscape

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74 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • OpenAI has counter-sued Elon Musk, claiming he has used every tool available to harm the company, including press attacks and harassment.
  • The suit follows Musk's August 2024 lawsuit, which accused OpenAI of violating its nonprofit mission by partnering with Microsoft.
  • OpenAI is seeking damages and an injunction to block Musk's further interference and cites his failed takeover bid as a tactic to disrupt operations.
  • Sam Altman's lawyers described Musk's actions as a personal vendetta since Musk left OpenAI's board in 2018.

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Key points from the Center

  • OpenAI filed a countersuit against Elon Musk on April 9, 2025, accusing him of harassment and seeking to prevent further unlawful actions against the company in ongoing legal disputes.
  • OpenAI claims that Musk used various tactics, including press attacks and a fake bid for control, aimed at harming the organization and slowing down the company.
  • Nearly 500 million people use OpenAI's ChatGPT weekly, and the firm is projected to earn nearly $13 billion in 2025 revenue.
  • A coalition of organizations has petitioned for intervention to stop OpenAI's transition to a for-profit entity, claiming it undermines its charitable mission.

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Key points from the Right

  • OpenAI has countersued Elon Musk, seeking to stop his alleged harassment and hold him responsible for damages caused, according to their federal court filing.
  • Musk's involvement with OpenAI began in 2015, but he left before the company became a major player in AI.
  • OpenAI claims Musk's actions include press attacks and legal harassment, describing his takeover bid as fake.
  • The ongoing lawsuit represents a critical phase for OpenAI's plan to secure funding for their operations and compete in the AI industry.

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