OpenAI Countersues Elon Musk Over Harassment and Corporate Sabotage

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has filed a countersuit against Elon Musk, accusing him of harassment and requesting that a U.S. federal judge prevent him from engaging in “any further unlawful and unfair action” against the company.

Musk co-founded OpenAI alongside its current CEO, Sam Altman, in 2015. However, the two have long been at odds over the organization’s evolving direction.

About a year ago, Musk sued OpenAI, claiming it had abandoned its founding charitable mission by prioritizing profit over the benefit of humanity. He later withdrew the lawsuit in June, only to file a new one in August.

Then, in February, Musk led a surprise $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI through a group of investors. Altman swiftly rejected the offer, posting on X: “no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” Musk acquired Twitter (now X) in 2022 for $44 billion.

In new documents filed in a California district court this week, OpenAI asserted that “Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI” and urged the court to stop further interference, as well as hold Musk accountable for the damage already inflicted. A jury trial is expected to begin in spring 2026.