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Funding Milestones
Total funding raised by Pursuit to date in millions of USD.
Primary Sources
Elon Musk vs Sam Altman: how the legal battle of the tech billionaires ...
There was a time when Elon Musk and Sam Altman were friends. But the two tech billionaires are now embroiled in a bitter legal battle in the United States that could reshape not just OpenAI, the artificial intelligence (AI) firm behind ChatGPT they cofounded in 2015, but also the future of the technology more broadly. Launched by Musk in 2024, the lawsuit is the culmination of a years-long feud that centres on the evolution of OpenAI from a non-profit to a for-profit enterprise. The trial, which kicked off this week in California, is expected to last roughly three weeks. But its ripple effects could be felt for many years to come. The case and the cast The lawsuit pits Musk against Altman, OpenAI president Greg Brockman, OpenAI itself, and Microsoft, the AI firm’s largest backer. Musk cofounded and helped fund OpenAI to the tune of about US$44 million. By his own account from the witness stand this week, he “came up with the idea, the name, recruited the key people, taught them everything I know, provided all of the initial funding”. Brockman served as technical cofounder; Altman became chief executive in 2019. Their alliance with Musk fractured as the organisation grew. Musk departed the board in 2018. He says he was pushed out. However, OpenAI says he walked when denied majority control. Musk subsequently launched his own rival AI venture, xAI, which is now part of SpaceX. What Musk is alleging As part of the lawsuit, Musk is alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, false advertising and unfair business practices. His core claim is that Altman and Brockman induced him to donate on the understanding that any artificial general intelligence – or AGI – built at OpenAI would stay “open” and shared with humanity. Instead, Musk argues, the founders turned the charity into a “wealth machine”. They did this in two stages. First, via a 2019 capped-profit subsidiary. Here, OpenAI’s for-profit unit limited the returns, with the excess handed back to the nonprofit. Second, through a full restructure into a public benefit corporation, which is now valued at roughly US$852 billion. Musk’s lawyers told jurors Altman and Brockman “stole a charity, full stop”. Outside court, Musk has been throwing insults at his opponents, prompting the judge to threaten a gag order. OpenAI flatly rejects Musk’s narrative. As its lead counsel, William Savitt, told jurors: We are here because Mr Musk didn’t get his way with OpenAI. The company alleges, as desc...
Musk and Altman face off in federal court. Here's what to know.
By Updated on: April 27, 2026 / 12:49 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Jury selection begins Monday in a high-profile case brought by Tesla CEO Elon Musk alleging that Sam Altman's OpenAI, which was founded as a nonprofit research lab, prioritized profits over its original mission to benefit humanity as it ballooned into a corporate enterprise.Musk originally sued in 2024, alleging that OpenAI, Altman, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman betrayed the company's founding agreement to be altruistic stewards of a revolutionary technology that would eventually result in the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Musk is seeking an unspecified amount to fund the charitable arm of OpenAI, as well as Altman's removal from the OpenAI board. OpenAI, which Musk and Altman co-founded in 2015, is valued at $852 billion, according to the Associated Press.Opening statements could begin as early as Tuesday. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding, will make the final decision in the case, with the jury serving in an advisory role.The trial is expected to provide riveting theater, with contrasting testimony from two of technology's most influential and polarizing figures: the 54-year-old Musk and the 41-year-old Altman.OpenAI declined to comment on Friday. In a post on X on Monday, the company called the lawsuit a "baseless and jealous bid to derail a competitor." Musk's xAI operates the AI chatbot Grok, which debuted in 2023 and competes with OpenAI."We'll also finally have the chance to question Mr. Musk under oath before a jury of Californians about this attempt to undermine our work to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity," the post said. Musk's legal team did not respond to a request for comment.The "core dispute"Musk stepped down as co-chair of OpenAI in 2018 but continued to donate to the AI company until 2020, with his financial contributions totaling $44 million, according to legal filings. However, the Tesla founder grew displeased with the direction of OpenAI as it shifted toward a for-profit structure and eventually yanked his funding — leading to a bitter fallout between him and Altman. As Musk withdrew his financial support, Microsoft swooped in, becoming OpenAI's biggest investor. Julia Powles, a technology law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told CBS News on Friday that the dispute centers on who will control the transformative technology and profit from it. "Both are arguing in this case that t...
What to know about the Elon Musk versus Sam Altman trial over OpenAI
What to know about Elon Musk and Sam Altman's court battle ABC News technology reporter Mike Dobuski breaks down the legal battle related to an ongoing power struggle for OpenAI.
Inside the courthouse as Elon Musk's suit against OpenAI ... - GeekWire
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, left, and President Greg Brockman as photographed through the windows of the federal courthouse in Oakland as they arrived for jury selection in Elon Musk's lawsuit ...
