Musk in Court: Flat, Defensive, and Not Nearly as Smart as He Thinks He Is

I watched Elon Musk get sworn in as the first witness in Musk v. Altman today. The guy I saw in that courtroom barely resembled the one who charmed his way through his defamation trial a few years back.

Back then, Musk turned on the full charisma machine. Smiling, self-deprecating, almost likable. The jury bought it. He walked.

Today? Flat. Adrift. Unprepared.

The only time he showed any real energy was when he was recounting his own contributions to OpenAI. How much he’d done, how essential he was, how without him none of this would exist. It was weird. This is a lawsuit about whether Sam Altman abandoned OpenAI’s nonprofit mission, and Musk spent the direct examination talking almost exclusively about himself.

Direct examination is supposed to tell a story through questions. Build a narrative. Make the jury understand why they should rule in your favor. Musk’s story, as presented, seemed to be: “I am very important, and Sam Altman wronged me personally.”

That’s not the same as showing that Altman violated a legal or fiduciary duty. It’s not even the same as showing that OpenAI strayed from its mission. It’s just… ego.

I’ve covered enough tech litigation to know that the plaintiff’s demeanor on the stand matters. A lot. Juries decide cases on credibility as much as evidence. Musk came across as petty and defensive, not wronged and righteous. That’s a problem.

We’ll see how cross-examination goes. But first impressions count, and this one wasn’t great for Musk.