Musk ‘was going to hit me,’ OpenAI executive says at trial

OpenAI President Greg Brockman testified before a California jury on Tuesday, alleging that Elon Musk physically threatened him during a confrontation in 2017. According to Brockman, the incident occurred after Musk was denied absolute control over the artificial intelligence company. The executive testified that the billionaire stormed out of the meeting following the disagreement, marking a significant point of contention in the early history of the organization.^[1][2]

The testimony was delivered on the second day of a trial that examines the relationship between Musk and the artificial intelligence company. Brockman recounted the intensity of the 2017 encounter, telling the court that he feared for his physical safety during the exchange. "I actually thought he was going to hit me," Brockman stated, describing the billionaire's reaction to being refused the leadership role he sought within the organization.^[1][2]

The legal proceedings in California are focusing on the interactions between OpenAI leadership and Musk. Brockman's account of the 2017 meeting suggests that the billionaire's departure from the discussion was abrupt and followed a failed attempt to secure total authority over the entity. This testimony provides the jury with a firsthand account of the personal and professional tensions that defined the relationship between the parties during that specific and critical period of the company's development.^[1][2]