OpenAI: Greg Brockman Takes on Elon Musk in Explosive Trial

Greg Brockman's Testimony at the Heart of the OpenAI Trial

The fifth day of the trial filed by Elon Musk against OpenAI was marked by the testimony of Greg Brockman, president of the artificial intelligence company. This trial, taking place in federal court in Oakland, California, has drawn attention due to the financial and personal stakes involved. Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, partly due to his financial contributions to OpenAI. During his testimony, Brockman was questioned about his personal fortune and OpenAI's plans for an IPO. The trial, which resumed after a weekend break, also featured the testimony of Stuart Russell, an AI expert hired by Musk. Brockman is scheduled to testify again on Tuesday, and Shivon Zilis, a former board member of OpenAI and mother of some of Musk's children, is also expected to take the stand this week.

A Colossal Fortune Revealed

When questioned by Musk's attorney, Steve Molo, Greg Brockman revealed that he holds nearly $30 billion in OpenAI stock. This amount would place him among the 80 or 90 richest people in the world according to the Forbes ranking. In addition to his OpenAI shares, Brockman mentioned owning $471 million in Stripe stock, a company where he served as Chief Technology Officer before joining OpenAI. These revelations highlight the considerable wealth Brockman has accumulated through his investments in the tech sector.

A Promised Donation That Wasn't Fulfilled

Brockman's testimony also shed light on an unfulfilled commitment. In 2014, he had promised a personal donation of $100,000 to OpenAI's charity, as he wrote in an email to Marissa Mayer, then CEO of Yahoo. This email also mentioned donations from influential figures in Silicon Valley such as Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, and Peter Thiel. However, during his testimony, Brockman admitted that he had not followed through on this donation. He explained that Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, was supposed to inform him of the right time to make the donation, but that never happened.

OpenAI and the Possibility of an IPO

During his testimony, Brockman publicly confirmed for the first time that OpenAI is considering an IPO. Under pressure from attorney Molo's questions, Brockman acknowledged that this possibility is under review. If OpenAI were to go public, it could become one of the largest IPOs in history. Currently, the record is held by Saudi Aramco, which raised about $29 billion in 2019. OpenAI's private valuation during its last funding round was estimated at $850 billion. Other companies like Anthropic and SpaceX are also considering IPOs this year.

Settlement Attempt Before the Trial

Just before the trial began, OpenAI's lawyers revealed that Elon Musk had contacted Greg Brockman to discuss a potential settlement. Two days before the trial opened, Musk proposed to Brockman that they reach an agreement to avoid court. Brockman suggested that both parties drop their respective claims, but Musk rejected this idea. According to a court document, Musk warned Brockman that he and Sam Altman could become "the most hated men in America" if the trial continued. Brockman, Altman, and OpenAI's lawyers requested Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to allow these exchanges as evidence, but a decision has yet to be made.

An AI Expert at an Exorbitant Rate

Stuart Russell, an artificial intelligence expert and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, was the first witness to speak on Monday. His testimony was notable due to the high rate he received for his services. Musk's legal team paid him $5,000 per hour for 40 hours of preparation, a sum well above the norm for expert witnesses, which typically ranges from $500 to $1,000 per hour. In total, Russell earned $235,000 for his involvement in the trial, which represents about 20% of his annual income. He clarified that this payment came from Excession, Musk's family office.