According to OpenAI, Musk wanted majority equity, board control, and the CEO position. The company stated that it was against its mission for one person to have full control, leading to a disagreement with Musk. In a 2018 email, Musk endorsed making Tesla a "cash cow" for OpenAI, and agreed that other large companies would fail due to incompatible company DNA. Musk left the company in 2018 and planned to build a general intelligence competitor within Tesla, which became xAI Corp. OpenAI plans to dismiss all of Musk's claims and expressed disappointment over the situation with Musk.
Key takeaways:
- OpenAI has responded to Elon Musk's lawsuit with a blog post suggesting that Musk supported the company's shift to a for-profit model and wanted Tesla to be its "cash cow".
- The company claims Musk only sued when OpenAI started making progress without him and that he wanted majority equity, board control, and to be CEO.
- Musk has previously stated that OpenAI became a "maximum profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft," which was not his intention. However, the emails suggest he was supportive of the for-profit shift as long as he was in control.
- OpenAI plans to dismiss all of Musk's claims and expressed disappointment that it has come to this with someone they've deeply admired. Musk, his attorney, and a Tesla spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.