More than 100 previously confidential documents have been unsealed in Elon Musk’s 2024 lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, offering a rare, unfiltered look into the inner dynamics of some of Silicon Valley’s most powerful figures. The release, ordered by a California federal judge, includes emails, texts, diary entries, and deposition transcripts that reveal tense personal and professional relationships, strategic decisions, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering. One of the most striking revelations comes from the private diary of OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman. In entries from 2018, Brockman grappled with the idea of distancing himself from Musk, writing about seeking “freedom” and questioning whether Musk was truly the “glorious leader” he had once believed. He weighed the risks of severing ties, noting the possibility that such a move could push Sam Altman away. The diary also shows Brockman considering how to pitch OpenAI’s mission to major tech firms like Tesla and Google to secure funding. Jared Birchall, Musk’s longtime confidant and head of his family office, confirmed in a September deposition that he had stepped back from his role as CFO of Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company, after a new finance leader was hired. William Sawyer officially took over the position in August, though the title transfer had not yet been completed. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed in a 2025 deposition that his financial advisor had invested in Neuralink, though he said he had not discussed the matter with Musk. Nadella also shared his view of Musk, calling him “idiosyncratic” but deeply inspired by his ability to build things. He was also involved in a now-abandoned project to co-write a book titled “An Inflection Point: Mission, transformation, and the dawn of next generation AI” with Harvard professor Marco Iansiti, though the book was never published. A 2016 email shows Musk reaching out to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, asking if OpenAI could purchase one of the company’s first supercomputers. Huang responded that OpenAI would get one of the earliest units, underscoring the early importance of hardware access in AI development. Musk’s concern about OpenAI’s future is evident in a January 2018 email warning Altman that the company was on a “path of certain failure” compared to Google and urging “immediate and dramatic action” to avoid irrelevance. Musk left OpenAI’s board in February 2018, citing a conflict of interest with Tesla’s AI efforts. In an August 2016 email, Musk expressed skepticism about Amazon, calling Jeff Bezos “a bit of a tool,” while favoring Microsoft’s Satya Nadella—though he criticized Microsoft’s marketing team. This preference played a role in OpenAI’s eventual 2019 partnership with Microsoft. After Altman was ousted by OpenAI’s board in November 2023, Mira Murati, then OpenAI’s CTO, texted Nadella asking for confirmation that Microsoft would offer jobs to departing staff. Nadella responded the next morning, confirming the support. Murati then urged Nadella to make a public statement to prevent key researchers from being poached by competitors like Demis Hassabis or Musk. In a personal message from February 2023, Altman told Musk that public attacks on OpenAI felt like being “attacked by heroes” and that the criticism “really fucking hurts.” Musk replied that he didn’t intend to be hurtful but emphasized that “the fate of civilization is at stake.” The case is set to go to trial in March, though a settlement remains possible. OpenAI maintains that Musk was aware of the company’s shift to a for-profit model and denies any wrongdoing.