Sam Altman Vs Elon Musk: Judge Lectures Tech Billionaires On Social Media Barbs, Asks Them Not To 'Make Things Worse Outside This Courtroom'

A US federal judge overseeing the high-profile lawsuit between Elon Musk and OpenAI has urged the tech leaders to restrain their social media activity amid escalating public exchanges.

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers told Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to “control your propensity to use social media to make things worse outside this courtroom.” The warning came ahead of opening statements on Tuesday, one day after Musk posted a series of jabs at OpenAI’s leadership on X.

Bloomberg reports that in his opening statement at the federal court in Oakland, Musk’s lawyer Steven Molo accused Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman of undermining the company’s founding principles.

Molo told the jury that instead of sticking to OpenAI’s 2015 mission to “benefit humanity,” Altman and Brockman “enriched themselves, they made themselves more powerful and they breached the very basic principles on which the charity was founded.”

Musk, a co-founder of the original non-profit OpenAI, has long criticised the company’s shift toward a for-profit model, particularly its close ties with Microsoft.

Ongoing Legal Battle

The trial stems from Musk’s allegations that OpenAI abandoned its public-good charter after he left the organisation. The case has drawn significant attention as it pits two of the most prominent figures in AI against each other.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ remarks highlight concerns that public commentary on platforms like X could influence proceedings or inflame the dispute beyond the courtroom.

The trial continues with both sides expected to present further arguments on the transformation of OpenAI from a non-profit research lab into a major commercial player in generative AI.