A federal jury in Oakland, California, delivered a unanimous verdict on Monday, May 18, 2026, rejecting Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, co‑founder Greg Brockman, and Microsoft. The jury found that Musk filed his claims after the applicable statutes of limitations had expired, and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accepted the advisory verdict as the court’s own, dismissing all claims. (apnews.com)
Musk had sought up to $130–150 billion in damages, demanded the removal of Altman and Brockman from leadership, and aimed to revert OpenAI’s for‑profit structure back to its nonprofit origins. However, the jury’s finding on timeliness meant the court never reached the merits of those claims. (tomshardware.com)
Deliberations lasted less than two hours, underscoring the jury’s swift consensus that Musk’s claims were time‑barred. The judge echoed that view, noting there was “a substantial amount of evidence to support the jury’s finding,” and promptly dismissed the case. (apnews.com)
The verdict removes a major legal threat to OpenAI’s trajectory, including its planned IPO and ongoing operations. With the case dismissed, OpenAI and its leadership can proceed without the specter of a court‑ordered restructuring. Musk’s legal team has signaled intent to appeal, though the judge suggested such a challenge may face steep hurdles given the factual nature of the statute‑of‑limitations determination. (tomshardware.com)