Musk seeks removal of Sam Altman from OpenAI board and CEO role

New Delhi, April 8: Elon Musk -- who was a co-founder of OpenAI -- has sought the removal of current CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman as part of his legal challenge to the Artificial Intelligence firm’s shift to a for-profit structure, according to reports.

In a court filing on Tuesday, Musk said his lawsuit aims to reverse OpenAI’s restructuring and restore its status as a non-profit research organisation, they said.

He also requested that any damages awarded in the case be directed to OpenAI’s charitable arm, stating that the legal action is intended to prevent a public charity from being subordinated to private, for-profit interests.

Musk has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the company deviated from its founding mission after taking billions of dollars in funding and pursuing a for-profit model. He had earlier indicated he may seek damages of up to $134 billion.

However, OpenAI rejected the allegations, describing the lawsuit as a “harassment campaign” driven by “ego and jealousy” and aimed at slowing down a competitor.

The development comes amid escalating tensions between Musk and OpenAI leadership.

A day earlier, the company’s Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon had urged attorneys general in California and Delaware to investigate Musk for alleged anti-competitive behaviour.

Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left its board in 2018. He later launched rival AI venture xAI in 2023.

Earlier this year, OpenAI rejected Musk’s unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to acquire assets of the non-profit that controls the company.

The AI firm has since proceeded with its restructuring plans to raise more capital and potentially go public.

Separately, a report said China’s AI models are rapidly gaining global traction, raising concerns among US policymakers over potential risks to national security, supply chains and economic competitiveness.

The report noted that Chinese AI systems, which accounted for just 1 per cent of global workloads in late 2024, surged to nearly 30 per cent by the end of 2025.

--IANS