The trial against Sam Altman seemed like a duel between two billionaires. It has ended up exposing the inner workings of OpenAI

A federal trial over Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Sam Altman exposed internal OpenAI messages and board turmoil.

Testimony and documents highlighted Altman’s brief 2023 ouster, internal criticism from Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever, and the board’s lack of clear explanation.

Microsoft’s reaction and Altman and Greg Brockman’s outside financial ties also came under scrutiny.

The case has put OpenAI’s leadership crisis, governance problems, and private dealings in the public spotlight.