A federal judge in California has thrown out fraud allegations that Elon Musk brought against artificial intelligence company OpenAI, following the billionaire’s own request to drop those particular claims.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers made the decision Friday from her Oakland courthouse, clearing the way for the remaining portions of Musk’s lawsuit to move forward to trial.
The legal battle will continue Monday with jury selection, followed by opening statements scheduled for Tuesday. Musk’s remaining allegations focus on breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.
According to court documents, Musk requested the dismissal of his fraud allegations to simplify the proceedings and help jurors concentrate on his primary objective: ensuring OpenAI serves humanity instead of becoming a “wealth machine.”
The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI, its co-founder Sam Altman, and major investor Microsoft deceived Musk and the public when they established a for-profit division in 2019, following Musk’s departure from OpenAI’s board of directors.
Reports indicate that OpenAI is considering a public stock offering that could reach a valuation of $1 trillion.
Sources close to the litigation reveal that Musk is pursuing $150 billion in damages, with any awarded funds intended for OpenAI’s charitable division.
