OpenAI trial: Brockman rebuts Musk's take on startup's history, recounts secret work for Tesla

Greg Brockman, President of OpenAI, wrapped up his testimony on Tuesday, countering Elon Musk's narrative regarding the startup's foundational years and their negotiations. Brockman firmly stated that he never made any promises to Musk concerning the company's structure and had not heard others do so either. He reiterated that OpenAI remains a nonprofit organization, calling it 'the best-resourced nonprofit in the world.' The trial, now in its second week, stems from Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, Brockman, and CEO Sam Altman, which began two years ago. Musk accuses the organization of reneging on its commitment to nonprofit status. During the first week of the trial, Musk accused Brockman and Altman of attempting to 'steal a charity.' Over two days on the witness stand in Oakland, California, Brockman revealed that Musk had recruited several OpenAI employees to work for him at Tesla without pay. This work predominantly involved significant changes to Tesla's self-driving technology approach back in 2017. In his testimony, Brockman addressed questions about his financial aspirations and his grasp of OpenAI's structure, as well as Musk's role in the company, which they co-founded along with other executives in 2015. While Musk claimed that his contributions were central to OpenAI's success and that he helped attract top talent, Brockman noted that Musk was a divisive figure. 'Elon had a reputation of being an extremely hard driver,' he remarked, adding that some candidates were drawn to Musk's involvement, while others were deterred. Brockman highlighted Musk's sporadic availability for discussions, revealing that he often relied on staff members like Sam Teller and former board member Shivon Zilis for communication. He also clarified that Musk had never shown interest in making OpenAI's technology open-source, despite Musk's assertions during the trial that this was a fundamental principle of the organization. In discussions around 2017, Musk, Altman, and Brockman had contemplated creating a for-profit subsidiary of OpenAI, where Musk would hold equity. Following Musk's departure from the board in 2018, the organization did establish a for-profit arm. Brockman detailed an intense encounter with Musk when negotiations about equity stakes turned heated, describing Musk's anger during a meeting. 'Something just shifted in him. You could sense it. He was angry, he was upset,' Brockman recounted, adding that Musk left the meeting in a fit of rage after tearing a painting off the wall. During cross-examination, Musk's attorney, Steven Molo, pressed Brockman on his stake in the for-profit subsidiary, valued at approximately $30 billion. Molo pointed out that Brockman had not fulfilled an offer to donate $100,000 to the nonprofit. Brockman acknowledged this, stating, 'I did not end up donating, that is true.' Brockman maintained that the mission of OpenAI has always been his primary focus, although he conceded that the prospect of financial compensation was a secondary concern. The trial will continue at 8:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday.