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From a jump start to a billion-dollar lawsuit
Elon Musk wants to see money. A lot of money. More specifically, up to $134 billion—that's how much the entrepreneur is suing OpenAI and Microsoft for. The accusation: the companies are said to have earned enormous sums from his early commitment to OpenAI. And according to Handelsblatt, he now wants to cash in on precisely these profits.
As a reminder, Musk was one of the co-founders of OpenAI. At the time, the project was intended to be one thing above all else—a non-profit organization that develops artificial intelligence responsibly. According to the lawsuit, Musk invested around $38 million and made his network and fame available. Today, he sees the original plan as having been betrayed. Instead of the common good, the agenda now appears to be profit maximization—and that is going to be expensive.
Musk does the math—with billions
The crux of the lawsuit: Musk sees himself not only as a donor, but as a key driving force in the founding phase. And because OpenAI is now a commercial heavyweight, he believes that a large portion of the profits generated by the company should actually go to him.
An expert commissioned by him has quantified the allegedly "unlawfully obtained income." According to this, OpenAI alone accounts for between $65 billion and $109 billion. Microsoft, as a major investor and technology partner, is said to have profited by up to $25 billion. Musk is now claiming this share for himself, arguing that his help made it possible for OpenAI to grow to this size in the first place.
His lawyer puts it bluntly: "Without Elon Musk, there would be no OpenAI."
Microsoft and OpenAI: All nonsense?
The other side remains calm—at least outwardly. Microsoft considers the allegations to be unfounded and refers to the lawsuit as "not to be taken seriously." The argumentation of Musk's expert witness is unverifiable, inaccurate, and largely fabricated. Furthermore, the objection is: How can someone who now runs a competing company in the AI sector seriously demand billions from an organization to which he voluntarily gave money years ago?
OpenAI also rejects the claims. Although there has been no official statement, a counterclaim has already been filed in court. The central point is that the billion-dollar claims are incomprehensible and "implausible" in terms of content.
Nevertheless, the case is gaining momentum. A court in California has ruled that the case will be heard by a jury. The trial is scheduled to begin in April.
What do you say to that?
Elon Musk is taking action against a company he once helped build—a company that is now one of the most powerful players in the field of artificial intelligence. Is this a legitimate claim to a share of the success? Or a vengeful attempt to regain influence?
What becomes clear here is that when ideals become businesses, earlier promises quickly begin to falter. Those who claim to be "non-profit" today should not be surprised tomorrow when someone starts scrutinizing their accounts with a fine-toothed comb. Especially when billions are at stake.
Source: handelsblatt.com
