Musk wants $134B from OpenAI and Microsoft over "broken promises"
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, saying they ditched their original nonprofit mission—and now he wants up to $134 billion in damages.
Musk, who helped start OpenAI with a $38 million investment back in 2015, claims the companies made huge profits by going against their promise to keep AI open and nonprofit.
Why's Musk upset?
Musk says OpenAI misled him about staying nonprofit and open-source, accusing them of breaking trust.
A judge found enough evidence—including an email where a co-founder talked about keeping things nonprofit—to let the case go to trial in April 2026.
OpenAI says the lawsuit "continues to be baseless and a part of his ongoing pattern of harassment," but the court isn't dismissing it yet.
What's at stake for AI?
This fight comes as AI companies are being valued at jaw-dropping numbers—think $500 billion.
The case raises big questions about whether tech nonprofits can actually stay true to their missions once big money gets involved.
Plus, behind the scenes, talks between Musk and OpenAI fell apart when he asked for majority control.