I hate to say it, but one of the most exciting things that can happen to a business reporter is when one of the people or companies we cover gets sued. Not because we wish them legal harm, but because the discovery process tends to unearth a trove of emails, texts, and internal documents that offer a peek behind the curtain into the upper echelons of business.
When Elon Musk sued Sam Altman and OpenAI for fraud in 2024, he unleashed the mother lode. (The fraud claims were recently dropped from the suit, which now focuses on breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.) Even before the trial began, onlookers got a voyeuristic look at AI history unfolding. It’s a tale of idealism gone sour, of alleged backstabbing and mistrust, and of greed and ambition at an almost unfathomable scale. It’s also a trial that could have huge implications for the future of AI—and therefore all of us.
This week, I’m handing the newsletter reins over to my colleague Tom Dotan, who’s got the inside scoop as the trial kicks off this week. He’ll be in Oakland covering the proceedings as they unfold, so make sure you’re subscribed to keep up with all the drama!
Mentioned in this issue: a16z, Theo Baker, Bari Weiss, Greg Brockman, Tarek Mansour, SpaceX, Joby, Meta, Microsoft, Gavin Newsom, Lloyd Blankfein, Marc Toberoff, Ari Emanuel, and more… | 
