Ilon Musk has demanded up to $134 billion in compensation from OpenAI and Microsoft

In the ongoing legal standoff between Elon Musk and OpenAI, a new lawsuit claims between $79 billion and $134 billion in compensation.

As Bloomberg reports, Musk claims he is owed a portion of OpenAI and Microsoft’s illegally obtained profits for abandoning its original nonprofit status.

The updated lawsuit states that Musk put up $38 million in seed funding in the early stages of OpenAI’s development, which amounted to about 60% of the nonprofit’s startup capital. In addition to financial support, he helped in hiring key employees, building business relationships and advising the startup. According to calculations by financial expert C. Paul Wazzan, who represents Musk’s side, OpenAI has generated between $65.5 billion and $109.43 billion in illicit profits, while Microsoft has generated between $13.3 billion and $25.06 billion in illicit profits.

The lawsuit is part of a lawsuit Musk started in March 2024, where he accused OpenAI of violating its nonprofit status. Microsoft was later added as a defendant, and Musk even tried to get an injunction against reorganizing OpenAI’s corporate structure.

An injunction against the reorganization of OpenAI’s corporate structure was even sought.

In parallel, Musk also filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Apple, accusing them of monopolistic practices that limit his company xAI’s access to the App Store ecosystem on a level playing field.

The claim for up to $134 billion in compensation was one of the largest corporate lawsuits in history and underscores the tensions between the co-founder of OpenAI and the company, which is now valued at $500 billion.