Business Law
May 21, 2026
OpenAI verdict leaves bigger AI questions unresolved
A federal jury's decision that Elon Musk sued OpenAI too late avoided a potentially landmark ruling on whether the company abandoned its nonprofit mission, but legal observers said the case still raised major questions about founder promises, AI governance and corporate accountability.
Early in his opening statement in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI for breach of charitable trust, Musk attorney Steven F. Molo of Molo Lamken LLP told jurors their decision could set an important precedent. If they did not find OpenAI -- which Musk alleges abandoned its nonprofit mission by creating a for-profit arm -- liable, Molo argued, anyone could take over a nonprofit and use its assets to make money, threatening the foundation of charitable giving.
Ultimately, the ju...
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