Sam Altman’s Cross-Examination: Trustworthiness Under Fire in Musk v. Altman Trial

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman endured a grueling cross-examination this week in the ongoing Musk v. Altman court battle, as lead attorney Steven Molo—representing plaintiff Elon Musk—pressed him on allegations of dishonesty and untrustworthiness.

Cross-Examination Focuses on Altman’s Credibility

Molo’s line of questioning centered on Altman’s alleged failure to be “consistently candid” with executives, a phrase used in the botched 2023 attempt by the former OpenAI board to remove him as CEO.

“Are you completely trustworthy?” Molo asked.

“I believe so,” Altman replied.

“You don’t know whether you’re completely trustworthy?” Molo pressed.

“I’ll just amend my answer to yes,” Altman responded. He later added, “I believe I am an honest and trustworthy business person.”

Former Executives Testify to Altman’s Alleged Deception

Molo cited unflattering statements from witnesses, including former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, who claimed Altman made false statements about safety practices in a video deposition. According to Murati, Altman allegedly told her that company lawyers had approved a new AI model to bypass regular safety procedures—despite no such clearance.

Murati also testified that Altman “undermined” her as CTO and “pitted” executives against each other. She left OpenAI following Altman’s brief firing and reinstatement and is now CEO of Thinking Machines.

Former OpenAI board member Tasha McCauley similarly accused Altman in her deposition of fostering a “toxic culture” of dishonesty. She stated:

“We had real doubts that we could trust what the CEO was telling us. [Altman’s] fibbing fed a toxic culture of lying in OpenAI.”

Molo confronted Altman with McCauley’s accusations, asking if he was “aware” that she had accused him of “creating a toxic culture of lying.” Altman claimed he had “not heard” her testimony.

Will Altman’s Trustworthiness Impact the Lawsuit?

While Molo’s cross-examination painted Altman in a negative light, it remains unclear whether his alleged dishonesty directly affects the lawsuit’s core allegation: that OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit company was illegal. A jury will ultimately decide the credibility of both sides.

Notably, Musk’s own conduct has also come under scrutiny in the trial. Sam Altman has accused Elon Musk of laughing at memes during critical OpenAI meetings, further complicating the case.