Silicon Valley’s Messiest Breakup is Definitely Headed to Court
OpenAI lawsuit moves forward as judge denies dismissal, setting stage for Musk vs. Microsoft courtroom battle in April 2026.
Matilda
Silicon Valley’s Messiest Breakup is Definitely Headed to Court
OpenAI Lawsuit Heads to Trial in Musk vs. Microsoft Showdown A high-stakes legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI—and by extension, Microsoft—is officially heading to court. A federal judge in California has rejected motions to dismiss the case, clearing the way for a jury trial in late April 2026 in Oakland. The ruling means one of Silicon Valley’s most dramatic falling-outs will now play out in open court, with billions in AI market dominance hanging in the balance. Credit: photopsist / Getty Images The lawsuit centers on whether OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit mission when it accepted major investment from Microsoft and restructured into a for-profit entity. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside Sam Altman and others, claims this shift violated the organization’s founding principles and his own financial and philosophical contributions. He’s asking the court to dissolve OpenAI’s current structure and return control to its original charitable framework. From Co-Founde…
