OpenAI stake worth $7b, co-founder says

OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever testified in a California court on May 11 that his OpenAI stake is worth about US$7 billion.

The testimony came as Elon Musk pursues a lawsuit accusing OpenAI and Microsoft of abandoning the startup’s original nonprofit mission for commercial gain.

Sutskever said he spent about a year gathering material for OpenAI’s board, including a 52-page document.

He believed CEO Sam Altman showed a “consistent pattern of lying” and set executives against each other, which helped lead to Altman’s brief removal in November 2023.

He said he later backed Altman’s return because he feared OpenAI would collapse amid employee backlash and Microsoft’s offer to hire the team, and added that directors also discussed a plan for Anthropic to merge with and lead OpenAI.

🔗 Source: Calcalist

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Sutskever’s testimony matters in a case about OpenAI’s original mission

Elon Musk’s lawsuit rests on a claimed “breach of charitable trust” tied to OpenAI’s stated nonprofit purpose 1.
He says about US$38 million in early donations were raised for that mission, then steered toward enriching insiders 1.
Musk wants more than money. He asks the court to undo OpenAI’s October 2025 recapitalization and remove Sam Altman plus Greg Brockman from leadership posts 1.
That claim makes testimony about Altman’s alleged dishonesty relevant to whether OpenAI’s leaders failed the group’s nonprofit duties 2.

A ruling against OpenAI could reshape AI governance

If Musk wins, the court could reverse the October 2025 recapitalization and could push out current leaders 1.
That could create uncertainty for companies and software developers that rely on OpenAI tools, since leadership or structural shifts may change product plans or prices with little warning 3.
The case may also influence other AI labs such as Anthropic, an AI startup that operates as a public benefit corporation (PBC), a corporate structure meant to balance profit with a stated public mission 3.
A ruling like that could invite more legal fights over who controls AI wealth, which may shape future investment and company structures across tech 2.