Elon Musk’s Ketamine Use Blocked from OpenAI Trial as Judge Sets High Bar for Evidence

Attorneys for OpenAI will not be allowed to bring up Elon Musk’s alleged drug use during their upcoming courtroom battle. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled on Friday that Musk’s history with ketamine is off-limits for the jury trial starting April 28. While OpenAI hoped to use the topic to question Musk’s memory of early business deals, the judge decided it was irrelevant and would only serve to distract from the actual fraud claims.

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Huge Names Prepare for the Witness Stand

The four-week trial will bring the most powerful leaders in tech to an Oakland, California, courthouse. Both Sam Altman and Elon Musk plan to give live testimony, along with Microsoft MSFT -1.57% ▼ CEO Satya Nadella. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers made it clear that these famous witnesses will get no special treatment. They are required to use the public entrance just like everyone else. The judge even ordered the billionaire-backed legal teams to pay for the jury’s lunch during the final talks, telling them, “You have plenty of money to pay for it.”

The $134 Billion Fight Over Broken Promises

The heart of the case is Musk’s claim that OpenAI’s founders lied to him a decade ago. He says he gave $38 million to the project because he was promised it would remain a non-profit. Now that OpenAI is worth billions and partnered with Microsoft, Musk is asking for a record-breaking $134 billion in damages. The judge expressed some doubt about this massive number, calling the math behind it “not particularly persuasive” at this stage.

Limited Questions Allowed for Burning Man

While the judge blocked the ketamine talk, she is allowing some questions about Musk’s trips to the Burning Man festival. OpenAI’s lawyers argued that many important messages were sent while Musk was at the event in the Nevada desert. The judge agreed that those specific dates are fair game but warned that she won’t let the trial become a debate about Musk’s lifestyle. She noted that in Northern California, attending the festival is “no big deal” and shouldn’t be used to make him look bad to the jury.

If Musk wins, it could force OpenAI to change how it shares profits or even push it back toward its original non-profit mission. OpenAI calls the lawsuit “baseless” and claims Musk is just trying to hurt a competitor.

We used the TipRanks Comparison Tool to look at famous companies that use chatbots like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini. This tool is a great way to see how each stock is doing and to get a better feel for the AI business.

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