Musk v OpenAI: Closing arguments concluded, jury deliberates Monday

Summary

Closing arguments in the Musk v. Altman trial concluded May 14 in Oakland. Musk’s attorney Steven Molo argued OpenAI misused Musk’s $38M in donations and violated founding nonprofit principles by failing to open-source technology and prioritize safety. OpenAI countered that donations had no specific strings attached and the organization continues to pursue its mission. Notable: Musk skipped closing arguments to travel to Beijing. The nine-person jury (six women, three men) will begin deliberating Monday May 19. The verdict is advisory — Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers makes the final liability decision.

Implications

The jury deliberation starting May 19 creates an extraordinary convergence: Musk v. OpenAI deliberation, Google I/O keynote, and TC39 plenary #114 all begin the same day. The advisory verdict format means the trial’s immediate impact is narrative, not structural — the judge’s final decision could diverge from the jury. The convergence week thesis from May 12 is now confirmed in its most concentrated form. Enterprise buyers watching the trial for governance signal will get the jury’s read within the same news cycle as Google’s next model announcements.