OpenAI Co-founder Brockman Sought to Oust Musk and Form For-Profit Venture, Court Documents Reveal

Court documents from Elon Musk's ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI have unveiled explosive journal entries from co-founder Greg Brockman, revealing strategic discussions as early as 2017 about removing Musk from the organization and transitioning it to a for-profit business model.

The internal notes, submitted as evidence in the United States District Court case, show Brockman questioning Musk's leadership role while calculating the financial implications of independence. In one entry, Brockman wrote: "This is the only chance we have to get out from Elon. Is he the 'glorious leader' that I would pick? We truly have a chance to make this happen. Financially, what would take me to $1B?"

Brockman's journal explicitly detailed concerns about Musk's influence, noting: "Accepting Elon’s terms nukes two things: our ability to choose (though maybe we could overrule him) and the economics." He anticipated fierce resistance to the profit-driven transition, writing: "Can't see us turning this into a for-profit without a very nasty fight," and acknowledged transparency issues: "His story will correctly be that we weren't honest with him in the end about still wanting to do the for-profit just without him."

OpenAI acknowledged the existence of Brockman's notes in their legal rebuttal but declined to address these specific passages. The revelations come from Musk's lawsuit, initially filed in California state court in early 2024 then refiled federally, which challenges OpenAI's shift away from its original non-profit mission.

The deteriorating relationship between Musk and OpenAI leadership culminated in public exchanges like Musk's retort to CEO Sam Altman: "You stole a non-profit." Subsequent journal entries show Brockman's resolve: "The true answer is that we want [Musk] out" and explicit concerns about maintaining appearances: "Cannot say that we are committed to the non-profit, don't want to say that we're committed, if, three months later, we're doing B-Corp, then it was a lie."

With Musk seeking $79-$134 billion in damages plus punitive penalties, the case represents a pivotal conflict in AI governance. The outcome could reshape OpenAI's corporate structure and establish precedents for mission-driven tech organizations transitioning to profit-focused entities.

Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer
Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.