Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has launched a major legal battle against OpenAI and Microsoft. It all began when Musk helped establish OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit organization intended to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. He now claims that these companies violated the original agreements, and he wants back the enormous sums of money they allegedly gained thanks to his support. The trial is scheduled for April in Oakland, California, and will be presided over by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Musk's lead attorney, Steven Molo, said that OpenAI would not exist at all without Musk—he provided most of the initial funding, as well as his reputation and expertise in building companies.
How much money is Musk demanding, and why?
According to a court filing dated January 17, 2026, Musk is seeking between CZK 1.5 trillion and CZK 2.5 trillion from OpenAI. From Microsoft, he is seeking between CZK 305 billion and CZK 577 billion. In total, this amounts to as much as CZK 3 trillion. These amounts were calculated by Musk's expert, financial economist C. Paul Wazzan, who took Musk's contributions since 2015 into account. Musk gave OpenAI approximately CZK 874 million, which represented 60% of its initial funding. In addition to money, he helped recruit employees, establish contacts, and lend credibility to the company. Musk claims that OpenAI and Microsoft misused these contributions when OpenAI became a for-profit company in 2025. This allowed Microsoft to invest billions and acquire a stake of approximately 27%.
Musk left OpenAI in 2018 and now runs his own company, xAI, whose Grok chatbot competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT. According to his lawsuit, OpenAI violated its original mission—to develop artificial intelligence for the public good, not for profit. Musk compares his role to that of an early investor in a startup who is entitled to enormous returns. If the court rules in his favor, Musk could also receive punitive damages or a court order restricting the companies' conduct, but the filing does not provide details.
How have OpenAI and Microsoft responded?
OpenAI called Musk's demand "frivolous" and part of his "harassment campaign." The company says the lawsuit is baseless and that Musk himself left after they disagreed over its direction. Microsoft did not comment on the amounts, but previously denied helping OpenAI violate any agreements. In a court filing, both companies challenged Musk's expert Wazzan, claiming that his calculations are "fabricated," "unverifiable," and "unprecedented." They want the court to limit what Wazzan can tell the jury because it could confuse them. OpenAI and Microsoft argue that Musk, as a former donor, is not entitled to billions from a nonprofit organization that became a for-profit company.
Previous costs of the lawsuit for OpenAI
According to an article from The Information, Elon Musk's lawsuit has cost OpenAI more than CZK 23 billion. These costs mainly include legal fees and other expenses related to its defense. OpenAI had to spend this money defending itself against Musk's accusations that the company had abandoned its nonprofit mission. This demonstrates how demanding and expensive the dispute is for OpenAI, even before the trial itself begins. Musk's lawsuit has therefore already affected OpenAI's finances, even without a final verdict.
This dispute is attracting attention across the technology world because it concerns the future of artificial intelligence. Musk claims that he wants to protect OpenAI's original vision, while the companies accuse him of waging a competitive battle. In April, the jury will decide whether Musk receives these enormous sums or whether the lawsuit ends in failure.
Sources: reuters.com and theinformation.com
