After two weeks of witnesses painting him as a calculating opportunist, Sam Altman finally got his turn to speak. Taking the stand in the ongoing legal battle brought by Elon Musk, the OpenAI CEO leaned into a composed, almost puzzled demeanor, the kind that says 'I can't believe we're here.' His lawyer asked him how it felt to be accused of stealing a charity. Altman's reply was pointed: 'We created, through a ton of hard work, this extremely large charity, and I agree you can't steal it. Mr. Musk did try to kill it, I guess. Twice.'
Altman performed well on the stand by most accounts. He came across as measured and grounded, a far cry from the villain Musk's legal team has spent weeks constructing. When he stepped down, binders of evidence in hand, he looked more like a tired founder than a corporate schemer. Whether that impression holds with the jury is another question entirely.
The case centers on Musk's claim that OpenAI's shift toward a for-profit structure violates the nonprofit mission he helped fund in the organization's early days. Altman and OpenAI dispute that framing. The trial continues, and for all of Altman's composed testimony, the outcome remains far from settled. Read the full story at The Verge.
