Musk Seemingly Tried to Strong-Arm a Settlement Out of OpenAI Before Trial
Elon Musk allegedly attempted to pressure OpenAI executives Sam Altman and Greg Brockman into a settlement days before the trial over accusations of straying from OpenAI's principles. According to OpenAI's legal team, Musk's message included a veiled threat that Altman and Brockman would become 'the most hated men in America' if they refused. OpenAI claims the communication was coercive and part of a broader pattern of Musk using litigation to target competitors.
- ▪Elon Musk sent a text to Greg Brockman two days before the trial was set to begin, allegedly seeking a settlement.
- ▪The message reportedly warned that Altman and Brockman would become 'the most hated men in America' if they did not settle.
- ▪OpenAI argues the message was part of a coercive pattern, citing a similar tactic Musk used during the Twitter acquisition litigation.
- ▪OpenAI does not plan to introduce a screenshot of the exchange but intends to question Brockman about it in court.
- ▪A YouGov poll found 56% of the public holds an unfavorable view of Musk, compared to 50% for Altman in a separate Tech Oversight poll.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Elon Musk is in the middle of a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit alleging that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman violated the company’s principles by pursuing profitability. A new document in the case, filed Monday by OpenAI’s counsel, shows that he tried to put an end to it before it began. Per the filing, Musk sent a text to Brockman two days before the trial was set to begin to try to secure a…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Gizmodo.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Gizmodo
