Former research scientist Ilya Sutskever spent nearly a year gathering evidence of Sam Altman's alleged dishonesty for the OpenAI board of directors. He revealed this during testimony in the lawsuit between ChatGPT's developer and Elon Musk, according to Reuters.

The OpenAI co-founder confirmed that he had considered taking steps to remove Altman as CEO at least a year before the board's vote in November 2023, citing Altman's "consistent tendency to lie."

The former employee stated that he prepared a 52-page document at the board's request, compiling evidence against Altman. He confirmed that the CEO's behavior included "undermining authority and pitting executives against each other."

Sutskever discussed the possibility of Altman's removal with Mira Murati, who was the Chief Technology Officer at the time.

"His behavior did not contribute to achieving any great goal, including the creation of safe general artificial intelligence," Sutskever stated.

He played a key role in the controversial saga of Altman's firing and rehiring. After Altman's dismissal, Sutskever became concerned that the company would collapse, prompting him to vote for his reinstatement.

This testimony came during the third week of the trial, which could determine the future of ChatGPT's developers.

Musk insists that the project's transition from a nonprofit to a commercial entity was a mistake and set a dangerous precedent for similar startups.

The billionaire is demanding $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, as well as the removal of Altman and President Greg Brockman from their positions.

The closing arguments in the case are scheduled for May 14.

Merger with Anthropic

Sutskever reported that his stake in OpenAI was valued at approximately $5 billion as of November 2025, and that figure has now risen to $7 billion.

Company President Greg Brockman holds a stake worth over $30 billion. Sam Altman does not own any shares in the firm.

Sutskever also confirmed that after Altman's brief dismissal, the remaining board members met with representatives from competing company Anthropic to discuss a merger.

Stock Sales

In October 2025, OpenAI allowed current and former employees to sell shares worth up to $30 million. Over 600 individuals collectively received $6.6 billion in a single transaction.

About 75 people opted to cash out the full $30 million. The company tripled the previous limit of $10 million per employee, as the old cap had caused dissatisfaction among leading researchers and developers.

This transaction provided many with their first real opportunity to access cash, as OpenAI requires employees to hold shares for two years before selling. This rule prevented those who joined the startup after ChatGPT's debut in late 2022 from cashing out.

It is worth noting that in 2025, OpenAI failed to meet key metrics for ChatGPT users and revenue, raising concerns among some investors.