Judge in OpenAI trial has had it with Musk’s ‘steal from a charity’ quip: ‘You’re not a lawyer’
A federal judge in Oakland expressed frustration with Elon Musk's repeated use of the phrase 'you can't steal from a charity' during his testimony in a lawsuit against OpenAI, telling him he is not a lawyer and striking the comment from the record. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI as a nonprofit, alleges the company abandoned its mission by pursuing profit, and is seeking $180 billion in damages while calling for leadership changes. The trial has featured tense exchanges over corporate documents, AI safety concerns, and allegations of technology 'distillation' between competing AI firms.
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Business Judge in OpenAI trial has had it with Musk’s ‘steal from a charity’ quip: ‘You’re not a lawyer’ By Marc Vartabedian Published April 30, 2026, 3:32 p.m. ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The judge presiding over the bombshell trial over the future of OpenAI has apparently had it with Elon Musk’s favorite line over the last three days – “You just can’t steal from a charity” – at one point reminding Musk that he was “not a lawyer.” “We’ve heard that often,” US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers told the tech titan, drawing some snickers from the packed courtroom.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
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