The testimony between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has created a storm that could either end in Musk being embarrassed or Sam Altman being legally forced to leave OpenAI. As part of the proceedings, Thinking Machines Labs CEO Mira Murati has shared her take on the events around the firing of Altman in 2023. In her videotaped statement, Murati accused Altman of dishonesty and harbouring a workplace environment that could undermine effective leadership.
Murati, who briefly served as OpenAI’s interim CEO and was previously the CTO leading up to the release of ChatGPT, claimed in her testimony that Altman frequently told different things to different people, creating “chaos” that hampered her ability to perform her role.
In the video deposition played in federal court in Oakland, California, she stated, “My concern was about Sam saying one thing to one person and completely the opposite to another person.”
When directly asked if she believed Altman was always candid with her, Murati replied, “Not always,” adding that her issues with him centred on management style.
Murati’s testimony emerged in the second week of Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, which accuses Altman and President Greg Brockman of betraying the company’s original nonprofit mission by prioritising commercial interests. Musk is seeking substantial damages as part of the lawsuit, reportedly asking for up to $180 billion, along with orders to revert OpenAI to nonprofit status and remove Altman from the board. “My issues with Sam were very much around management,” she added.
OpenAI has denied the claims, asserting Musk previously supported its shift toward a for-profit model.
Murati describes the Altman-firing drama
In November 2023, the OpenAI board fired Altman from his post as CEO and christened Murati as an interim CEO. Murati described the intense chaos following Altman’s temporary firing, stating that the company faced a “catastrophic risk of falling apart,” and she feared it could “completely blow up.”
Despite her criticisms, Murati testified that she supported efforts to reinstate Altman, criticising the board for not following a trustworthy process in his dismissal. “As we can see in retrospect, the way [board members] handled it caused complete and utter chaos,” she said.
During the leadership crisis, Murati maintained close contact with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whom she described as a “voice of reason.” Court-displayed text messages showed her coordinating with Nadella on communications involving Altman amid the turmoil.
She also spoke about aggressive recruitment attempts by competitors, including Google’s DeepMind and Musk’s AI companies, trying to poach OpenAI talent during the instability phase.
Murati eventually left OpenAI after the events and co-founded her own AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab, where she poached many of OpenAI’s employees and secured major funding rounds to get going with her research and investment. She recently drew public attention for her appearance at the 2026 Met Gala in Manhattan.
Elon Musk’s battle against Sam Altman intensifies
The lawsuit battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has revealed the deep tensions and issues in the early days of the company. So far, Musk has revealed on his statements that he had donated approximately roughly $38 million (plus office rent) to the non-profit version of OpenAI.
Musk has claimed that this created a charitable trust, which Altman and Greg Brockman betrayed by shifting toward aggressive commercialisation and partnerships like the one with Microsoft.
In contrast, OpenAI argues Musk himself pushed for control (including demands for 51% equity and CEO role) and later supported for-profit elements before leaving in 2018. Internal documents show heated clashes over direction, with Musk reportedly wanting a major breakthrough before entertaining profit motives.