Elon Musk has been involved in several high-profile legal disputes in recent years, and another one is in progress as Musk is seeking up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft over what he calls "wrongful gains," as reported by CNBC. The lawsuit argues that both companies benefited financially from Musk's initial support.
According to a federal court filing cited by CNBC, Musk said OpenAI gained between $65.5 billion and $108.4 billion from his early contributions, while Microsoft gained between $13.3 billion and $25.1 billion. Musk said he provided roughly $38 million in seed funding, which represented about 60% of OpenAI's early financial backing.
"Without Elon Musk, there'd be no OpenAI. He provided the bulk of the seed funding, lent his reputation, and taught them all he knows about scaling a business. A preeminent expert quantified the value of that," Musk's lawyer, Steven Molo, told CNBC.
OpenAI responded by calling Musk's demand "unserious" and a partner in a "harassment campaign," according to the report. A Microsoft lawyer also said there was no evidence that the company helped OpenAI wrongfully gain anything. The two companies asked the judge to monitor what Musk's expert witness can present to jurors as the financial claims were "unverifiable" and "implausible," according to the court filing.
Musk's business history has drawn public attention in the past. For example, Musk has been accused of minimizing how much outside investor and government funding, along with public strategy, boosted his rise in the space and tech industries.
For consumers, Musk's legal disputes can shape how his companies are perceived, which is important for sustainability efforts. Transportation still accounts for more than 16.2% of global carbon pollution, according to data, and investments in electric vehicles can significantly reduce that impact. Switching to an electric vehicle reduces the long-term toxic pollution that harms human and environmental health.
The outcome of Musk's lawsuit could affect how early tech investors seek compensation for their involvement in startups, especially sustainable ones. The case is scheduled to go before a jury in April in Oakland, California.
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