Boardroom Fights
In August 2017, Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever gathered at Elon Musk’s self-described “haunted mansion,” a sprawling estate in Hillsborough, south of San Francisco, to discuss the future of OpenAI. Actress Amber Heard, Musk’s then-girlfriend, served the group whiskey before departing with a companion. Brockman, OpenAI’s cofounder and president, testified in federal court during the trial for Musk v. Altman on Tuesday.
Meaning for Makers and Artists
Ahead of the meeting, Musk gifted Brockman and Sutskever new Tesla Model 3 cars as a gesture to butter them up. “It felt like he was trying to curry favor,” Brockman said on the stand. Sutskever reciprocated by presenting Musk with a painting of a Tesla. The founders wanted to establish a for-profit arm to attract investors, but they objected to granting Musk control over AI development. They proposed shared control instead.
After several minutes of deliberation, Musk rejected their offer and stormed out of the room. “I actually thought he was going to attack me,” Brockman testified. That night, Musk’s chief of staff Shivon Zilis called them back. She said it wasn’t over, but discussions about futures including them were ongoing.
The events at the mansion represent repeated instances of erratic behavior by Musk that OpenAI believes undermine his arguments about the company. Musk contends his $38 million in donations to OpenAI were abused by Brockman and others on the path to creating the $852 billion for-profit venture now known as ChatGPT and Codex. Brockman, CEO Sam Altman, and OpenAI deny any wrongdoing, with jury deliberations set to begin soon.
To OpenAI, what Brockman learned in 2017 underscores how tough it can be to meet one’s heroes. Brockman admired and respected Musk’s business acumen but found his desire for control concerning. William Savitt, an attorney for OpenAI, said this is representative of repeated instances of erratic behavior by Musk that they believe undermine his arguments about the company.
Key Takeaways
- Brockman described how difficult it can be to meet one’s heroes in negotiations with Musk.
- The events at the mansion represent repeated instances of erratic behavior by Musk that OpenAI believes undermine his arguments about the company.
- Musk’s desire for control was absolute and concerning, leading to conflicts within the boardroom.
Originally published at wired.com. Curated by AI Maestro.
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