Judge Appoints Mediator for Musk and OpenAI Legal Dispute

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers appointed retired federal judge R. David Proctor as a mediator to resolve the legal dispute between Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The order, issued Wednesday, seeks a just, speedy, and inexpensive resolution to the conflict. Judge Rogers required both parties to ensure representatives with full settlement authority attend all mediation sessions.

The move follows a federal court jury's recent rejection of claims by Musk that OpenAI betrayed its founding principles as a charitable organization when it transitioned to a for-profit model. Despite that ruling, antitrust claims filed by Musk and harassment counterclaims filed by Altman remain pending. These specific claims were not addressed during the initial three-week trial.