OpenAI published today a direct reply to Elon Musk's court filing, accusing him of cutting and taking private entries from Greg Brockman's journal out of context to build a different narrative. What really happened in 2017 and why does it matter today? I'll explain it clearly and without jargon.
What OpenAI says
According to OpenAI, Musk did participate in conversations about changing the organization's structure in 2017. The discussion wasn't binary: it wasn't 'non-profit or nothing'; the idea was to keep a non-profit and create a linked for-profit entity tied to the mission. That hybrid structure is basically what exists today: a PBC (public benefit corporation) and a nonprofit foundation that controls part of the PBC's equity, which OpenAI values at roughly 130 billion dollars.
OpenAI claims Musk pushed for absolute control, talked about raising $80 billion for a city on Mars, and pressed for greater stake and rights. Negotiations ended because the cofounders refused to give him total control. After several conversations, Musk left OpenAI in February 2018 and, OpenAI says, told them they could continue without him — while also saying he didn't think they'd succeed without his financial backing.