Satya Nadella to testify in May 2026 over OpenAI funding emails

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to testify on May 11, 2026, in Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI. The testimony will focus on a series of emails that allegedly detail how Microsoft orchestrated and funded OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit research organization into a for-profit AI powerhouse. Musk’s lawsuit, filed in early 2024, accuses OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman of abandoning the company’s original charter—which promised to develop AI for the benefit of humanity—in favor of commercial interests. Nadella’s emails are expected to reveal the specific financial arrangements and internal discussions that enabled that pivot.

The case has drawn widespread attention because it touches on the governance and ethics of frontier AI development. Microsoft has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI and holds a significant stake in the for-profit entity, OpenAI Global LLC. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who left in 2018, claims the shift violates the original agreement and amounts to self-dealing by Altman and other board members. Nadella’s testimony will likely be a pivotal moment, as it could expose the degree of Microsoft’s influence over the restructuring. Legal experts predict the disclosure of these emails could reshape how AI companies balance nonprofit missions with commercial partnerships.