Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, testified in court today, formally countering Elon Musk's lawsuit against the company's structure. In his testimony, Altman not only refuted Musk's accusation of "stealing" from a charity, but also revealed that Musk had considered allowing his children to inherit control of the company.

Regarding Musk's claim that OpenAI's establishment of a for-profit subsidiary was an act of "theft," Altman remained silent for a few seconds in court. He then responded that it was difficult to understand this logic and emphasized that the company had created one of the largest charities in the world, dedicated to highly valuable work.

The Struggle for Control

Altman detailed a pivotal period in 2017 when the founding team was struggling to raise funds for model development. He pointed out that Musk's specific plans regarding safety concerns worried him, especially Musk's obsession with personal control, which contradicted OpenAI's original intention of preventing technology from being controlled by a single individual.

The moment that most shocked Altman was when discussing what would happen if Musk died while controlling the for-profit entity, Musk suggested that his children take over. Altman, drawing on his experience at Y Combinator, realized that founders who hold control rarely let go easily.

Fractures in Management Style

Aside from ideological conflicts, Altman also stated that Musk did not understand how to run top scientific laboratories. He accused Musk's management methods of being highly destructive, having required researchers to be ranked and fired en masse, which severely damaged team morale and organizational culture for a long time.

Although the two eventually went their separate ways, court documents show that Musk continued to stay in touch with Altman after leaving, even showing a relaxed side during discussions about Microsoft's investment. Currently, this legal dispute over the non-profit mission and the power of a business giant is still ongoing, revealing complex interest struggles behind the world's top AI institutions.