Musk Sought $80 Billion for Mars Colony, OpenAI President Tells Court

Fresh revelations have emerged in the high-profile legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI, as court testimony suggests Musk once envisioned raising as much as $80 billion to fund a city on Mars.

During proceedings in a California court, OpenAI president Greg Brockman testified that Musk supported transitioning the AI startup into a for-profit entity, but only if he could secure full control. According to Brockman, Musk viewed the move as a pathway to generate massive capital for his long-term ambition of colonizing Mars.

The testimony is part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Musk against OpenAI and its leadership, including CEO Sam Altman. Musk alleges that the organisation abandoned its original nonprofit mission and instead evolved into a profit-driven company benefiting its executives.

Brockman told the court that Musk sought majority ownership and decision-making power, arguing he needed control to determine how funds would be used, including for his Mars colonization plans.  Reports also suggest tensions escalated during internal discussions over equity structure, with disagreements ultimately leading to Musk’s exit from OpenAI’s board in 2018.

Musk is now seeking up to $150 billion in damages and changes to OpenAI’s leadership structure, framing the case as a fight to restore the company’s original purpose as a public-interest AI research organisation.

The trial, which has drawn global attention, is expected to shape not only the future of OpenAI but also broader questions around artificial intelligence governance, corporate control, and the role of private funding in ambitious technological ventures.