OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman testified that his personal stake in the company is worth nearly $30 billion, a figure central to Elon Musk's lawsuit alleging the AI firm abandoned its nonprofit roots for profit.
Musk’s legal team argues CEO Sam Altman and Brockman deviated from OpenAI’s founding mission of benefiting humanity. Brockman, who invested no personal money, said, “Compensation was certainly secondary to the mission.”
In a heated exchange, Musk’s lawyer compared Brockman to a bank robber-a remark the judge struck down. Brockman countered that his stake was granted before ChatGPT existed and that OpenAI remains a nonprofit foundation with a for-profit arm for public good.
Text messages from Musk, sent before the trial, warned Brockman and Altman would become “the most hated men in America” if they didn’t settle. OpenAI’s lawyers argue Musk is using the lawsuit to stifle a competitor, xAI.
Brockman defended his fortune by saying, “We built this through blood, sweat, and tears since Elon left.”