Sam Altman: Elon Musk Bikin Karyawan OpenAI Tidak Nyaman – detikInet

Sam Altman, the CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, testified on May 12, 2026, in a legal proceeding to defend himself against a lawsuit filed by former co-founder Elon Musk. The dispute centers on allegations regarding the transition of OpenAI’s corporate structure.

The lawsuit, which was initiated in 2024, names Altman, OpenAI, and OpenAI president Greg Brockman. Musk alleges that the leadership team reneged on a commitment to maintain OpenAI as a non-profit organization.

During his testimony, Altman was questioned about Musk’s claim that he and other founders stole a charitable foundation to facilitate the launch of a for-profit subsidiary.

Altman responded by stating that it was difficult to understand that framework of thinking. He asserted that the organization established one of the largest charities in the world, adding that the foundation has performed extraordinary work and will continue to do so.

Altman further testified that he never made any specific commitments to Musk regarding the company’s structural arrangement.

Management and Organizational Culture

Beyond the structural disputes, Altman provided testimony regarding Elon Musk’s leadership style. He suggested that while Musk’s approach to management might be effective for companies focused on manufacturing and engineering, it was not suitable for the environment at OpenAI.

Altman testified that Musk did not understand how to properly manage a research laboratory, which led to a decrease in motivation among several key researchers.

Altman detailed a specific instance where Musk allegedly requested that Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever compile a list of researchers, rank them based on their achievements, and terminate a portion of the staff.

It caused great damage to the organizational culture over a long period of time.

Sam Altman

The testimony highlights the ongoing friction between the current OpenAI leadership and Musk over the company’s evolution from its original non-profit roots into its current operational model.