OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever testified on May 11 that his ownership stake in OpenAI is currently worth about $7 billion, as he took the stand in the high-stakes legal battle between the company and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Speaking in a California courtroom during the third week of the trial, Sutskever also revealed that his OpenAI stake was worth around $5 billion in November 2025.
The testimony came as the case examines OpenAI’s shift from its nonprofit roots into a commercial AI giant pursuing massive fundraising and potentially a trillion-dollar IPO.
Sutskever’s appearance quickly turned into a detailed account of the dramatic 2023 leadership crisis at OpenAI. He testified that he had spent about a year gathering evidence for OpenAI’s board that CEO Sam Altman displayed a “consistent pattern of lying.”
During testimony, Sutskever confirmed he had been considering action against Altman for at least a year before the November 2023 board vote that temporarily removed Altman as CEO. He said he prepared a document compiling evidence of Altman’s alleged dishonesty at the request of the board and confirmed Altman’s conduct included “undermining and pitting executives against one another.”
Sutskever also testified that he had discussed removing Altman with former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati after the two spoke about Altman’s behaviour “for a long time.”
Altman’s conduct was “not conducive to any grand goal”, including the creation of safe AGI, Sutskever said in court.
Sutskever played a central role in Altman’s dramatic firing and rehiring in November 2023 while serving on OpenAI’s board. However, after concerns emerged that the company could collapse, Sutskever later expressed regret for his “participation in the board’s actions” and ultimately voted to reinstate Altman.
The trial stems from Musk’s lawsuit accusing OpenAI and Altman of abandoning the organisation’s nonprofit mission in pursuit of profit. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI and left its board in 2018, is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and its backer, Microsoft, to be paid to the nonprofit entity. He is also seeking the removal of Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman from their roles.
Sutskever also confirmed that after Altman’s temporary ouster, OpenAI board members held discussions with rival AI startup Anthropic about a possible merger that would have placed Anthropic leadership in control of OpenAI. He testified that he was “not excited” about the idea of merging OpenAI with another company.
The former OpenAI chief scientist said he largely avoided the internet during the chaotic weekend following Altman’s firing and was initially unaware of contingency plans, including Microsoft’s proposal to absorb Altman, Brockman, and OpenAI employees into a new subsidiary.
Sutskever left OpenAI in 2024 and later launched his own AI startup, Safe Superintelligence.
Earlier on Monday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified that Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI was a “calculated risk,” arguing that the partnership delivered significant strategic and marketing value for the tech giant.
Altman is expected to testify on May 12, while closing arguments in the trial are scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
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