By Karen Hao
Publication Date: 2026-05-14 11:00:00
In case it wasn’t already clear: Elon Musk and Sam Altman hate each other.
While the two men were once co-founders of OpenAI, they are now embroiled in a vicious feud that is playing out in all its theatrics before a judge and jury in a California courtroom. Musk is suing, alleging that Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman tricked him into forming and funding the organization as a nonprofit before subsequently restructuring it as a for-profit organization. OpenAI says Musk was well aware of these plans and portrays the lawsuit as an attempt to derail a competitor.
I know this story all too well. I’ve been covering OpenAI since 2019 and was anchored in his office for three days, shortly after Musk resigned and Altman officially took over as CEO. If I’ve learned anything from my years of following this company and the AI industry, it’s that this world breeds bitter rivalries.
It is no coincidence that almost all of OpenAI’s original founders left the…
