OpenAI co-founder discloses holdings worth nearly $30 billion, with deep financial ties to Ultraman.

OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman revealed in court on Monday that his financial relationship with CEO Sam Altman is closer than previously known, and the value of his stake in the ChatGPT developer is close to $30 billion. These details were disclosed during questioning by Elon Musk's lawyer. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, is currently suing the company, alleging that it improperly transitioned to a for-profit company, abandoned its charitable goals, and should be restored to a non-profit organization. Musk's team believes that Brockman's independence may be compromised by financial incentives that make him inclined to support Altman in pushing for OpenAI to transition to a for-profit company. Brockman also revealed in court that he holds stakes in two startups supported by Altman and has a stake in Altman's family fund. The trial has entered its second week and is taking place in a California court, with the outcome potentially determining the future of OpenAI. The company has generated significant interest in generative artificial intelligence since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. Since then, OpenAI has raised over $100 billion from investors to recruit researchers, purchase computing power, and expand before a potential trillion-dollar IPO. Musk is seeking to remove Altman and Brockman from the company's management and claim $150 billion. Brockman admitted early in his testimony that the value of his stake in OpenAI is close to $30 billion, a figure that was not previously known. In 2017, Altman granted Brockman partial ownership of his family wealth office, valued at $10 million at the time. That year, Brockman, Musk, and other OpenAI executives discussed the possibility of restructuring the company as a for-profit entity to afford the high costs of training AI systems. 2017 Compensation Arrangement Brockman stated that he did not directly discuss his compensation arrangement with Musk. Emails read in court showed that Altman mentioned this arrangement in another conversation with the head of Musk's family wealth office, Jared Birchall, who then conveyed the details to Musk. Birchall wrote in the email, "One thing worth mentioning now is that he (Altman) is topping up Greg through a piece of personal family wealth office ownership." He added that this transaction might mean "Greg will be more loyal to Sam as a result." Musk forwarded Birchall's memo to Brockman, adding two question marks. When asked if he was loyal to Altman, Brockman replied, "I wouldn't put it quite like that." Stakes in Altman's Invested Startups On Monday, Brockman also revealed that he holds stakes in the AI chip startup Cerebras, which OpenAI has discussed acquiring at different times. This year, OpenAI has indicated plans to spend a substantial amount on purchasing Cerebras' chips. Brockman also stated that he holds stakes in the fusion startup Helion Energy, in which Altman has invested hundreds of millions of dollars. In March of this year, Altman resigned from the Helion board as the two companies seek to collaborate. Elon Musk, the world's richest person, accuses OpenAI, Altman, and Brockman of deceitfully diverting his $38 million donation and personal assistance by promising to establish a non-profit AI organization focused on safety, only to later create a for-profit entity for personal gain. His allegations include breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment. OpenAI responded by stating that Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, wants to control OpenAI and is disgruntled by the success the company achieved after he left its board in 2018. OpenAI also said that Musk did not prioritize safety during his time at the company and is now trying to promote his own AI company, xAI under SpaceX, which is far less accepted by users compared to OpenAI.