The most astonishing moment in the ongoing legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman didn't happen on the witness stand — it occurred after the jury had been dismissed for the day.
According to courtroom observers, Jared Birchall, a key financial advisor for Musk, accidentally answered a question he was explicitly instructed not to address. The slip happened during a sidebar discussion while the jury was out of the room, but it was still heard by court staff and legal teams.
Birchall, who manages Musk's personal fortune and sits on the board of xAI, Musk's AI company, was being questioned about the structure of a potential deal. When a lawyer posed a seemingly routine follow-up, Birchall responded before objections could be raised. The answer reportedly touched on confidential communications that the judge had previously ruled inadmissible.
The exact content of Birchall's response remains sealed, but legal experts say the gaffe could have serious implications. It may force the judge to declare a mistrial, exclude certain evidence, or issue sanctions against Musk's legal team.
The trial, which centers on Musk's claims that OpenAI breached its nonprofit mission and that Altman engaged in deceptive practices, has been marked by dramatic revelations. This latest incident adds another layer of unpredictability to an already high-stakes case.
Neither side has commented publicly on the matter, but sources close to the proceedings suggest that Musk's lawyers are scrambling to contain the damage. A ruling on how to handle the slip is expected later this week.