Elon Musk's Worst Enemy in Court Is Elon Musk

April 30, 2026

TL;DR

Elon Musk's cross-examination was marked by his refusal to answer yes/no questions directly, occasional "forgetfulness," and arguments with the defense lawyer.
The judge described Musk as "difficult" at times, and jury members appeared disengaged or frustrated during his testimony.
The defense presented evidence suggesting Musk withdrew funding and attempted to control OpenAI because he did not get his desired board seats and share percentage.
Musk's past emails indicated concerns about OpenAI's nonprofit structure and a belief that Tesla was the only entity that could compete with Google.
Musk was criticized for not reading OpenAI's corporate structure documents closely and for contradicting deposition testimony regarding what he read.
Musk accused the defense lawyer of asking unfair questions, while the lawyer maintained they were asking questions as fairly as possible.
Musk's testimony suggested he lost trust in Sam Altman and believed OpenAI was "stealing a charity" or "looting a nonprofit."

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