Musk’s Last-Minute Settlement Push Came With a Warning, Court Filing Reveals

Business Insider, CNBC, CNN, Reuters contributed to this report.

Days before the courtroom lights came on, Elon Musk made one more move behind the scenes – reaching out to Greg Brockman to see if a deal could be struck.

It didn’t land.

According to a fresh court filing, Musk texted Brockman on April 25, just two days before the civil trial kicked off. The message was straightforward: was there any interest in settling? Brockman’s reply was equally blunt – drop all claims on both sides and walk away.

Musk didn’t go for it. Instead, he fired back with a line that’s now getting plenty of attention: by week’s end, Brockman and Sam Altman would be “the most hated men in America” if they didn’t agree.

That exchange is now part of the legal fight. Lawyers for OpenAI want it admitted as evidence, arguing it shows Musk’s real motivation – less about principle, more about taking down a rival. Musk, after all, is now running his own AI venture, xAI.

The trial itself has been building for years. Musk sued OpenAI and its leadership back in 2024, accusing them of betraying the company’s original nonprofit mission. He says he was misled into contributing about $38 million in the early days, only to watch the organization pivot towards a massive for-profit operation now valued north of $800 billion.

From the witness stand last week, Musk didn’t hold back. He called the shift a “bait-and-switch” and framed the case as an attempt to stop what he described as the takeover of a charity.

OpenAI’s side tells a different story. Their lawyers say Musk had previously supported a for-profit structure and only turned against the company after losing influence. They’re positioning the lawsuit as a competitive move – one aimed at slowing down a dominant player in the AI race.

The courtroom drama is far from over. Brockman is expected to testify next, and his own notes from before Musk’s 2018 departure could come into play. One entry suggests the company wasn’t fully transparent with Musk about its long-term plans – a detail that could complicate the narrative on both sides.

For now, the failed settlement attempt adds another layer to an already messy dispute. What started as a disagreement over mission and money is now playing out in public, with reputations – and the future of a major AI player – on the line.