Closing arguments in the Musk v. Altman trial wrapped on May 14, and Elon Musk's legal team had a rough afternoon in court.
Steven Molo, Musk's lead attorney, stumbled noticeably through his closing statement. At one point, he referred to Greg Brockman - an OpenAI co-founder and one of the named co-defendants - as "Greg Altman." He also told the court that Musk wasn't seeking monetary damages, which The Verge's analysis characterizes as factually incorrect given the claims actually on the table.
The trial centers on Musk's allegation that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit mission when it took billions in investment from Microsoft and restructured toward a for-profit model. Musk was a co-founder and early donor, and his lawsuit has argued that Altman and others violated the founding agreement he believed he was entering. OpenAI has disputed that characterization throughout.
A lawyer confusing defendant names and misstating his own client's position during closing arguments is the kind of thing that sticks with a jury. Whether it's a fatal misstep or a minor stumble the verdict can survive remains for the court to decide, but it's not the clean finish a high-profile case like this demands. A ruling hasn't been announced yet.