Musk's lawyer hammers OpenAI co-founder over nearly $30 billion stake in organization

Tech NewsMusk's lawyer hammers OpenAI co-founder over nearly $30 billion stake in organizationIn the trial over Musk's claims against OpenAI's other co-founders, Musk's attorney questioned whether Greg Brockman's stake in the company conflicted with its nonprofit values.Greg Brockman, president and co-founder of OpenAI Inc. in Las Vegas, on Jan. 5.Bridget Bennett / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 4, 2026, 5:37 PM EDTBy David IngramOAKLAND, Calif. — OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman disclosed in a trial Monday that his stake in the firm is worth nearly $30 billion, confirming a figure that co-founder Elon Musk has pointed to in arguing that OpenAI has abandoned its mission as a nonprofit organization.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Brockman took the stand during the fourth day of the trial. Musk is suing Brockman and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alleging that they unlawfully converted a charity that he helped start into a for-profit business, best known for creating the popular artificial intelligence app ChatGPT.Brockman was repeatedly asked to reconcile his nearly $30 billion stake with OpenAI’s stated mission of making AI technology to benefit all of humanity. He testified that the mission hasn’t changed, even after its board has sold equity stakes to outside investors.“You just happen to be $30 billion richer?” asked Musk lawyer Steven Molo.“Compensation was certainly secondary to the mission,” Brockman responded.The trial could reshape OpenAI as an organization and alter the industry-wide push for advanced AI. It’s also unusual for featuring testimony from rival tech billionaires.Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and xAI, vowed to make Brockman and Altman “the most hated men in America” through evidence presented at the trial, according to the content of text messages included in a court filing Sunday. Musk texted Brockman two days before the...