OpenAI Countersues Elon Musk Over “Fake Takeover Bid,” Accuses Him of Ongoing Sabotage

The high-stakes feud between OpenAI and its estranged co-founder, Elon Musk, is intensifying. In a newly filed countersuit, OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman are seeking legal intervention to stop what they describe as Musk’s “unlawful and unfair” campaign against the company.

The court filing, submitted Wednesday, paints Musk as a destabilizing force whose actions have caused “significant harm” to OpenAI’s operations, reputation, and future.

“OpenAI is resilient,” the filing states. “But Musk’s actions have taken a toll. Should his campaign persist, greater harm is threatened — to OpenAI’s ability to govern in service of its mission, to the relationships that are essential to furthering that mission, and to the public interest.”

The most serious allegation? That Musk staged a “fake takeover bid” for OpenAI’s nonprofit earlier this year, which the company claims was intended solely to disrupt and discredit the organization.

Musk’s Team Fires Back

In response, Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, defended the bid and questioned OpenAI’s motives:

“Had OpenAI’s board genuinely considered [Musk’s bid] as they were obligated to do, they would have seen how serious it was. It’s telling that having to pay fair market value for OpenAI’s assets allegedly ‘interferes’ with their business plans.”

This legal back-and-forth is the latest chapter in a long and messy public divorce between Musk and the AI lab he helped launch in 2015. Musk sued OpenAI earlier this year, accusing it of abandoning its nonprofit roots and becoming a de facto subsidiary of Microsoft. OpenAI’s countersuit marks a full-throated defense of its mission — and a direct challenge to Musk’s version of events.