OpenAI President Greg Brockman testified, disputing Elon Musk’s version of the startup’s origins and revealing Musk enlisted OpenAI employees for secret, unpaid work on Tesla’s self-driving technology in 2017. Brockman stated that OpenAI remains a nonprofit and recounted heated negotiations where Musk, seeking control, grew angry and rejected equity proposals, even tearing a painting off a wall. The testimony also delved into Brockman’s significant equity stake and a past journal entry pondering how to reach a billion dollars.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman wrapped up his testimony on Tuesday in the high-stakes trial initiated by Elon Musk against the AI startup. Brockman largely contradicted Musk's narrative regarding the early days of OpenAI and key negotiations that shaped the company.
VIDEO: OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman concludes testimony in Musk-Altman trial (1:47) - From Closing Bell
Brockman affirmed under oath that he never made, nor heard anyone else make, any commitments to Musk concerning OpenAI's corporate structure. He underscored that the OpenAI foundation remains a nonprofit entity, describing it as the “best-resourced nonprofit in the world.”
Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, Brockman, and CEO Sam Altman, filed two years ago, alleges a breach of an agreement to maintain the company as a nonprofit. During his testimony last week, Musk repeatedly accused Altman and Brockman of attempting to “steal a charity.”
In a surprising revelation from the witness stand in Oakland, California, Brockman disclosed that Musk had engaged several OpenAI employees in months of unpaid work for Tesla in 2017. This covert effort primarily focused on overhauling Tesla’s self-driving technology within its Autopilot division.
Over two days, Brockman addressed inquiries about his personal financial aspirations, his understanding of OpenAI’s organizational framework, and Musk’s involvement since co-founding the company in 2015. While Musk previously testified that his investments of time, money, and resources were crucial to OpenAI’s success and that he personally recruited top talent, Brockman offered a more nuanced perspective.
Brockman acknowledged Musk's assistance in attracting some candidates to OpenAI but noted that Musk was a divisive figure for others. “Elon had a reputation of being an extremely hard driver,” Brockman stated, explaining that while some candidates were “very attracted” by Musk’s participation, others were “very turned off.”
He also recounted an incident where Musk, after hiring former OpenAI researcher Andrej Karpathy, approached him with an “apology and a confession,” admitting that neither he nor Karpathy had informed Brockman of Karpathy’s plans to leave OpenAI beforehand.
Brockman highlighted Musk's general unavailability for direct meetings, leading him to rely on proxies like Sam Teller and former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis. Crucially, Brockman testified that Musk never formally expressed interest in open-sourcing OpenAI’s technology or mandated it for the nonprofit, despite Musk’s claims in court that it was a core tenet.
Discussions in 2017 involved Musk, Altman, and Brockman exploring a for-profit subsidiary where Musk would hold an equity stake. Musk departed the board in 2018, and the for-profit arm was established afterward.
Brockman vividly described Musk’s “hot-tempered response” during negotiations over equity distribution in the proposed for-profit affiliate. When the conversation shifted to ownership, Brockman observed a dramatic change in Musk. “Something just shifted in him. You could sense it. He was angry, he was upset,” Brockman recalled. He said Musk rejected the proposal, tore a painting of a Tesla Model 3 off the wall, and stormed out, demanding to know when the co-founders would leave the company. Brockman admitted fearing Musk might physically assault him at that moment.
When questioned about Musk's desire for control over OpenAI, Brockman stated that Musk expressed a dislike for lacking control, citing past experiences at Zip2 and SolarCity where his lack of influence allegedly caused problems or necessitated bailouts. Furthermore, Brockman revealed that Musk cited his ambition to finance a “city on Mars,” an endeavor he estimated at $80 billion, as a reason for wanting control of OpenAI.
Brockman's Finances Under Scrutiny
On Monday, Steven Molo, Musk's lawyer, scrutinized Brockman about his approximately $30 billion equity stake in OpenAI’s for-profit subsidiary. Molo repeatedly pointed out that Brockman never followed through on an offer to contribute $100,000, or any cash, to the nonprofit. Brockman conceded, “I did not end up donating, that is true.”
Molo also cited a 2017 journal entry by Brockman that read, “Financially, what will take me to $1B?” Challenging Brockman’s motivations, Molo questioned whether he prioritized personal wealth over the nonprofit’s mission. Brockman maintained that OpenAI’s mission has “always been my primary motivation,” with fair compensation as a secondary consideration. He stated he would have been “good” with $1 billion in shares. When pressed by Molo on why he hadn't donated the remaining $29 billion of his equity back to the OpenAI Foundation, Brockman offered no direct answer.
The trial is set to resume on Wednesday morning, with Shivon Zilis, a former OpenAI board member and mother of four of Musk’s children, expected to testify.
VIDEO: The Musk vs. OpenAI trial is underway — here's where things stand (3:11) - From Tech
