Musk and Altman Head to Trial in Feud Over Future of OpenAI

Sam Altman and Elon MuskPhotographer: Mike Coppola and Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Madlin Mekelburg and Shirin Ghaffary

April 27, 2026 at 11:01 AM UTC

Elon Musk and Sam Altman will face off this week in a trial that could determine the future of OpenAI.

The high-profile showdown between the artificial intelligence titans is the culmination of years of animosity and public feuding over the startup that the pair founded together more than a decade ago, before their relationship soured and they became rivals.