Brockman Testifies About Tense Clash With Musk

OpenAI president Greg Brockman told a court that a confrontation with Elon Musk once left him thinking Musk might hit him, injecting a sharply personal moment into an already high-stakes legal fight.

Brockman spoke during the second week of a month-long trial tied to Musk’s dispute with OpenAI chief Sam Altman, according to reports. His testimony pushed the case beyond arguments about corporate direction and control, and into the emotional rupture between the people who helped build one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence.

“I thought he was going to hit me,” Brockman said of Musk, according to courtroom reports.

The remark matters because it reframes the conflict in human terms. What might otherwise read like a dense battle over governance, mission, and power now carries the weight of a relationship that appears to have broken down long ago. Reports indicate Brockman’s appearance offered the court a window into the strain and distrust that surrounded OpenAI’s internal fights as Musk’s relationship with the company deteriorated.

The testimony lands at a pivotal moment for the tech industry. OpenAI sits near the center of the global AI race, and any courtroom revelation about its leadership history draws intense scrutiny from rivals, regulators, and investors alike. Even when details remain contested, each new account helps shape the public record around how the company evolved and why its founders and early backers split so dramatically.

The trial will continue to test those competing narratives. More testimony and legal argument could clarify how this feud developed and what each side wants from the court. That matters well beyond the people in the room: the outcome could influence how the public understands OpenAI’s past, and how power gets exercised inside the companies now steering the future of AI.