Musk Travels to China As OpenAI Trial Nears Closing Arguments
Elon Musk arrived in Beijing while his civil lawsuit against OpenAI's Sam Altman continued, with closing arguments scheduled for Thursday and jurors expected to begin deliberations thereafter.
CBS NewsMusk flew to China as OpenAI trial nears its end, after judge warned he could be called back into court
Business InsiderOpenAI trial wraps up with testimony about Reid Hoffman, a trophy, and a Musk outburst
New York MagazineOpenAI Futurist Received a Gold “Jackass” Trophy for Challenging Elon Musk
NBC NewsA judge told Musk he wasn’t excused from trial. He went to China with Trump anyway.
Overview
Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on Wednesday while his civil lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman continued in a California courtroom, and U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers told him he remained subject to recall.
The last day of testimony ended Wednesday and closing arguments were scheduled for Thursday, after which jurors were expected to begin deliberations.
OpenAI called witnesses who described internal disputes, including chief futurist Joshua Achiam saying Musk called him a 'jackass' and that colleagues gave him a small golden 'jackass' trophy the judge refused to admit.
Musk's suit seeks roughly $134 to $150 billion and removal of Altman, centering on OpenAI's $13 billion Microsoft partnership that an expert said had generated value 'in the $200 billion range'.
Two sources said Musk left without judicial permission and remained subject to recall, while a court spokesperson said she did not know whether his travel could pose a problem.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the trial as a dramatic showdown that bolsters OpenAI's position by emphasizing spectacle and rebuttals. They foreground emotive moments — the 'jackass' outburst and the discarded trophy — prioritize OpenAI witnesses and expert counters over Musk's allegations, and structure coverage to portray Microsoft ties as vindicating OpenAI.