Business Law
May 7, 2026
OpenAI board learned of ChatGPT launch on social media, former director testifies
Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner testified that directors were routinely left uninformed about major company developments -- including the launch of ChatGPT -- as Elon Musk seeks to prove OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission and concealed critical decisions from its governing board.
Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner testified Wednesday that the nonprofit board learned about the launch of ChatGPT through social media rather than from company leadership, offering jurors a vivid example of what she described as a broader pattern of secrecy, dishonesty and resistance to oversight that culminated in CEO Sam Altman's brief ouster in November 2023.
"I was used to the board not being ... informed about things," Toner said in a video deposition play...
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