OpenAI president Greg Brockman testified that a 2017 meeting with Elon Musk became so aggressive he feared being struck. Brockman said he rejected Musk's bid for greater control, after which Musk threatened to withhold funding he had provided since OpenAI's 2015 founding. The testimony is unfolding during a month‑long trial over OpenAI's governance and its move toward a for‑profit model. Former board member Shivon Zilis, who Brockman says had twins reportedly fathered by Musk, is expected to testify next.
‘I Thought He Was Going To Hit Me’: OpenAI Co‑Founder Greg Brockman Recounts Tense 2017 Meeting With Elon Musk
GReg Brockman, president of OpenAI, at a federal courthouse in Oakland, California. [Reuters]
OpenAI president and co‑founder Greg Brockman told an Oakland federal court that a 2017 meeting with Elon Musk turned so heated he feared Musk might physically strike him. Brockman said the confrontation followed his rejection of a proposal that would have given Musk greater control over the company.
Courtroom Testimony
Brockman, who is a defendant in Musk's lawsuit seeking to unwind OpenAI's transition toward a for‑profit structure, described the meeting as a sudden shift in Musk's demeanor. He said Musk reacted angrily after Brockman declined the proposal and later announced he would begin withholding financial support that he had provided since OpenAI's founding in 2015.
'I actually thought he was going to hit me,' Brockman testified, describing his reaction to Musk's behavior during the discussion.
Evidence Shown In Court
OpenAI lawyers presented August 2017 text messages between Brockman and fellow co‑founder Ilya Sutskever, including a message reading: 'Will a model 3 make you be willing to accept massively unfavourable terms?' The messages were used to show the extent of bargaining and negotiating that took place as Musk sought a larger role.
Brockman's testimony also addressed the company's evolution: OpenAI launched as a nonprofit in 2015, later established a for‑profit arm to raise capital, and in recent years shifted its focus to that commercial entity — a pivot at the heart of the current legal dispute.
Related Witnesses And Personal Details
Brockman's appearance is expected to be followed by former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis. Brockman testified that Zilis told him she had given birth to twins, and that he later learned from public reports that Musk was the father. He said Zilis told him the pregnancies were the result of IVF and described the relationship as 'entirely platonic with Elon.' Brockman added that the board had trusted Zilis to manage any conflict related to Musk.
Zilis resigned from the OpenAI board in March 2023 as Musk launched xAI, an AI company building a chatbot that directly competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Why This Matters
The testimony is part of a month‑long trial involving Musk and OpenAI leaders, including central founder and CEO Sam Altman. The dispute centers on control, governance and the company's shift from nonprofit roots to a commercial model — issues with major implications for the future of one of AI's most prominent organizations.
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