SAVITT LEADS ALTMAN'S DEFENSE IN MUSK LAWSUIT

AI DESK■ 1 MIN READ

MON, MAY 4, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 2 SOURCES BELOW

William Savitt, the lawyer who defended Twitter against Elon Musk in 2022, is now representing Sam Altman in Musk's billion-dollar lawsuit against OpenAI. Court filings reveal Musk sought a settlement days before trial, threatening Altman and Greg Brockman would become "the most hated men in America" after they rejected his offer.

Savitt has become a recurring figure in high-stakes disputes involving Musk. Beyond his Twitter defense, the attorney played a key role in structuring OpenAI's controversial transition from nonprofit to for-profit entity—the very arrangement Musk's lawsuit challenges. According to court documents, Musk texted Brockman about settlement talks shortly before the trial was set to begin. When rebuffed, Musk escalated his rhetoric, making the inflammatory statement about the pair's public standing. Savitt's track record against Musk includes navigating complex corporate litigation and regulatory pressures. His involvement in OpenAI's structural reorganization gives him deep knowledge of the company's governance disputes at the center of Musk's legal challenge. The lawsuit represents one of the year's most significant tech industry disputes, with Musk seeking to force OpenAI to return to its original nonprofit mission.

■ SOURCES

► Techmeme ► Techmeme

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

■ MORE FROM THE BIG TECH DESK

P657CISCO ACQUIRES ASTRIX SECURITY FOR $400M

Cisco has agreed to acquire Israeli startup Astrix Security for approximately $400 million. The company specializes in monitoring and controlling permissions granted to AI agents.

JUST NOW— AI Desk

P656ACADEMY BANS AI FROM ACTING, WRITING OSCAR ELIGIBILITY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued new rules Friday clarifying that acting and writing must be performed by humans to qualify for Oscar consideration. The policy addresses growing concerns about AI-generated content in film production.

2H AGO— AI Desk

P647AMAZON OPENS LOGISTICS NETWORK TO OTHER BUSINESSES

Amazon launched Supply Chain Services, allowing external companies to tap into its logistics infrastructure for storing and delivering raw materials and finished products. The move expands Amazon's existing logistics capabilities beyond its own retail operations.

6H AGO— AI Desk

P651MOTOROLA INDIA SUIT TARGETS SOCIAL PLATFORMS

Motorola's Indian subsidiary has sued X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Google, and Meta, seeking removal of existing and future "defamatory" content. The case could pressure platforms to accelerate content moderation decisions.

6H AGO— Industry Desk

◄ BACK TO NEWS

SAVITT LEADS ALTMAN'S DEFENSE IN MUSK LAWSUIT

■ MORE FROM THE BIG TECH DESK

■ SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF