Media & Culture

Elon Musk Boosts New Yorker’s Sam Altman Exposé on X as Trial Begins

Musk promotes Ronan Farrow's investigation into Altman's alleged deception during OpenAI trial.

Deep Dive

Elon Musk is leveraging his platform X to amplify a New Yorker investigation into Sam Altman, just as his high-stakes lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman heads to a jury trial. The exposé, coauthored by Ronan Farrow, details alleged deceptive behavior by Altman, and Musk boosted the post via X's paid amplification feature, which typically requires an ad label. However, users reported the boosted post lacked an explicit 'ad' tag, though options like 'report ad' were available. Musk also reposted the story, writing, 'Calling him "Scam" Altman is accurate,' referencing a line in the article.

The trial, which began Monday with jury selection, centers on Musk's claim that OpenAI strayed from its founding nonprofit mission to develop artificial general intelligence for humanity's benefit. Musk, a cofounder and early investor, argues his tens of millions in funding were misused. OpenAI counters that Musk knew a for-profit structure was necessary. Potential jurors expressed skepticism toward Musk and AI, setting the stage for a contentious legal battle. The boosted post's compliance with X's ad policies remains unclear, as the company did not comment.

Key Points
  • Musk boosted a New Yorker post by Ronan Farrow on X, promoting an exposé on Sam Altman's alleged deception.
  • The boosted post lacked an explicit 'ad' label, despite X policies requiring self-identification for paid amplification.
  • Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging deviation from its nonprofit mission, began trial with jury selection on Monday.

Why It Matters

Musk's platform influence and legal battle could reshape perceptions of OpenAI's leadership and AI governance.