Musk considered passing OpenAI control to children, Altman testifies
Original: Musk mulled handing OpenAI to his children, Altman testifies
Why This Matters
Reveals internal conflicts over AI safety and control at one of the world's leading AI companies
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified in court that Elon Musk suggested in 2017 that OpenAI control should pass to his children if he died while running a hypothetical for-profit version. Altman called this a 'hair-raising moment' that raised safety concerns.
Sam Altman defended OpenAI against Musk's lawsuit challenging the company's corporate structure. Altman testified that during 2017 funding discussions, Musk's 'specific plans on safety made me worry.' When asked about succession plans for a hypothetical OpenAI for-profit, Musk suggested 'maybe OpenAI should pass to my children.' Altman said this contradicted OpenAI's mission to keep advanced AI from single-person control. He also criticized Musk's management style, saying he 'demotivated key researchers' and required staff rankings that 'did huge damage' to company culture. OpenAI's foundation now holds $200 billion in assets. Musk later left OpenAI's board and started competing AI initiatives at Tesla and xAI.