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Add Shivon Zilis testimony to Day 6 coverage; expand Murati section
(Create: Murati testifies Altman sowed chaos and distrust at OpenAI (Musk v Altman trial Day 6))
 
(Add Shivon Zilis testimony to Day 6 coverage; expand Murati section)
 
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'''May 6, 2026''' — Former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer '''Mira Murati''' testified via video deposition on Wednesday in the ''Musk v. Altman'' trial that CEO '''Sam Altman''' sowed distrust among top executives and created persistent chaos as OpenAI forged ahead with developing and deploying its artificial intelligence software.<ref name="reuters">[https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/openai-trial-former-technology-chief-says-altman-sowed-chaos-distrust-among-top-2026-05-06/ Reuters: In OpenAI trial, former technology chief says Altman sowed 'chaos,' distrust among top executives]</ref>
'''May 6, 2026''' — Day 6 of the ''Musk v. Altman'' trial featured testimony from both former OpenAI CTO '''Mira Murati''' and former OpenAI board member '''Shivon Zilis''', who is also the mother of four of Elon Musk's children.<ref name="bbc">[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33243j44p8o BBC: Former OpenAI board member says Elon Musk offered her sperm donations]</ref><ref name="reuters">[https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/openai-trial-former-technology-chief-says-altman-sowed-chaos-distrust-among-top-2026-05-06/ Reuters: In OpenAI trial, former technology chief says Altman sowed 'chaos,' distrust among top executives]</ref>


Murati, who served briefly as interim CEO after Altman was temporarily forced out by OpenAI's board in November 2023, told the federal court in Oakland, California that Altman was "saying one thing to one person and completely the opposite to another person." She described his leadership as "creating chaos" and said he was, at times, deceptive with her and other senior leaders.<ref name="reuters" />
== Murati Testifies Altman Sowed Chaos ==


== Key Testimony ==
Former OpenAI CTO '''Mira Murati''' testified via video deposition that CEO '''Sam Altman''' sowed distrust among top executives and created persistent chaos as OpenAI forged ahead with developing and deploying its artificial intelligence software. Murati, who served briefly as interim CEO after Altman was temporarily forced out by OpenAI's board in November 2023, told the federal court in Oakland, California that Altman was "saying one thing to one person and completely the opposite to another person." She described his leadership as "creating chaos" and said he was, at times, deceptive with her and other senior leaders.


Murati's recorded testimony painted a picture of an executive team in turmoil. She affirmed under oath that Altman pitted executives against one another and undermined her in her role as Chief Technology Officer. "OpenAI was at catastrophic risk of falling apart," Murati testified. "I was concerned about the company completely blowing up."<ref name="reuters" />
== Zilis Testifies About Musk-OpenAI Connection ==


Despite these concerns, Murati acknowledged that she wished Altman to continue as CEO and pressed board members for a fuller explanation of why they had ousted him in November 2023. This nuanced position — critical of Altman's management style while supporting his continued leadership — adds complexity to Musk's narrative that Altman's leadership was fundamentally incompatible with OpenAI's nonprofit mission.<ref name="reuters" />
'''Shivon Zilis''', a former OpenAI board member and the mother of four of Elon Musk's children, testified for hours on Wednesday. Zilis pushed back on OpenAI's argument that she and Musk were involved in a secret relationship, stating that her relationship with Musk did not influence her duties as an OpenAI board member. She confirmed that Musk had offered her the opportunity to use his sperm for conception. Zilis left the OpenAI board in 2023 after Musk started xAI.<ref name="bbc-zilis">[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33243j44p8o BBC: Former OpenAI board member says Elon Musk offered her sperm donations]</ref><ref name="yahoo-zilis">[https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mother-four-musks-children-shivon-170630998.html Yahoo: Mother of four of Musk's children, Shivon Zilis, takes the stand at OpenAI trial]</ref><ref name="wired-zilis">[https://www.wired.com/story/model-behavior-why-everything-in-musk-v-altman-leads-back-to-shivon-zelis/ Wired: How Shivon Zilis Operated as Elon Musk's OpenAI Insider]</ref>


== Trial Context ==
== References ==
 
The testimony came during the second week of trial in Elon Musk's 2024 lawsuit alleging that OpenAI improperly converted to a for-profit entity, abandoned its charitable goals, and should be returned to nonprofit status. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, is seeking $150 billion in damages to be paid by OpenAI and investor Microsoft to benefit the startup's charitable arm.<ref name="reuters" />
 
Murati has since left OpenAI and co-founded her own AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab. The trial continues with closing arguments expected in the coming days.


== See Also ==
* [[Musk v Altman et al|Musk v. Altman et al]] — Case overview
* [[News-Musk-v-Altman-Trial-Day-5-2026|Musk v. Altman Trial — Day 5]]
* [[News-May-06-2026|May 6, 2026 Daily Digest]]
== References ==
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<references />


[[Category:Corporate Governance]]
[[Category:Cases Against OpenAI]]
[[Category:Cases Against OpenAI]]
[[Category:Corporate Governance]]
[[Category:Northern District of California]]
[[Category:Northern District of California]]
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