An old interview reveals the epic fallout between Musk and Altman Back then, Sam Altman was still at Y Combinator, sitting across from Elon Musk, who was OpenAI's biggest supporter. Altman asked: How’s OpenAI doing as a company just 6 months in? Musk immediately corrected him: OpenAI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Ten years later, that statement became a key footnote in court. Musk is suing OpenAI, demanding up to $134 billion in damages, accusing it of straying from its original mission and being hijacked by commercial interests. OpenAI fired back, claiming the lawsuit stems from jealousy and a power struggle. Once united in their fear of AI spiraling out of control, now they’re trading blows on X before facing off in court.