Former OpenAI scientist Ilya Sutskever testified he gathered evidence alleging Sam Altman repeatedly misled executives and board members.
- +Ex-OpenAI Scientist Says He Spent Year Gathering Evidence Against Altman
Former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever testified in court that he spent about a year gathering evidence which he believed showed a “consistent pattern of lying” by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
Former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever testified in court that he spent about a year gathering evidence which he believed showed a “consistent pattern of lying” by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
Sutskever gave evidence on Monday during the ongoing legal battle between OpenAI and its co-founder Elon Musk.
The AI researcher confirmed he had been considering removing Altman from his position for at least a year before the OpenAI board voted to dismiss him in November 2023.
According to Sutskever, he prepared a 52-page document for the board detailing concerns about Altman’s conduct, including allegations that the CEO undermined senior executives and set them against one another.
He said he discussed Altman’s behaviour over a long period with former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati before eventually supporting efforts to remove him.
Sutskever told the court that Altman’s conduct was “not conducive to any grand goal”, including the safe development of artificial general intelligence, commonly known as AGI.
Altman was briefly removed as chief executive in November 2023 before being reinstated days later after pressure from employees and investors, including Microsoft.
Sutskever later publicly expressed regret over his role in Altman’s dismissal and voted in favour of restoring him as CEO, fearing the company could collapse during the crisis.
The case forms part of a wider legal dispute brought by Musk, who accused OpenAI of abandoning its original non-profit mission in favour of commercial interests.
Musk is seeking $150bn in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, while also asking the court to remove Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman from leadership roles.
During his testimony, Sutskever also revealed that his ownership stake in OpenAI was valued at about $5bn in November 2025 and had since risen to around $7bn.
He further confirmed reports that OpenAI board members explored a possible merger with rival AI company Anthropic following Altman’s temporary removal.
Sutskever said he was not enthusiastic about the idea of OpenAI merging with another company.
The trial also heard testimony from Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella, who described Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI as a “calculated risk.”
Closing arguments in the case are expected later this week before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
