Elon Musk’s Lawyers Say He Doesn’t Use a Computer
▼ Summary
– Elon Musk’s lawyers claimed in a court filing that he “does not use a computer,” despite public evidence showing he owns and uses at least one laptop.
– Musk and xAI sued OpenAI in February 2024, alleging breach of contract for abandoning its nonprofit AI mission in favor of profit-driven goals with Microsoft.
– OpenAI accused Musk and xAI of not fully complying with discovery, while Musk’s lawyers stated they searched his phone and emails but claimed he doesn’t use a computer.
– X employees confirmed Musk primarily works from his phone but has occasionally used a laptop, contradicting his legal team’s claim.
– Musk has publicly posted about owning and using a laptop, including sharing images and details about it for gaming and testing Starlink.
Elon Musk’s legal team recently made a surprising claim in court documents: the billionaire doesn’t use computers. This assertion surfaced in filings related to his ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, where Musk alleges the company strayed from its original mission of developing AI for public benefit.
Despite this claim, public evidence suggests Musk does interact with computers, sometimes quite visibly. Over the past year, he has posted images of a laptop on his social media platform, X, and referenced using it for both work and personal activities. In one instance, he shared a photo captioned, “This is a pic of my laptop,” while testing Starlink’s in-flight streaming capabilities. Another post featured an older PC laptop adorned with a Dogecoin sticker, which he described as his gaming setup.
The legal dispute stems from Musk’s February 2024 lawsuit against OpenAI, where he accused the company of prioritizing profits over its nonprofit origins. OpenAI countered by alleging Musk and his AI venture, xAI, failed to fully cooperate with document requests. Musk’s lawyers responded by stating they had searched his emails and phone but couldn’t produce computer files, because, they claim, he doesn’t use one.
Employees at X have reportedly seen Musk working from his phone most of the time, though he has occasionally used a laptop. His public posts further complicate the narrative, showing him actively engaging with devices that contradict his legal team’s statements.
The discrepancy raises questions about whether Musk’s attorneys were being literal or if there’s a broader legal strategy at play. Either way, the contradiction between Musk’s online activity and his legal filings adds another layer of intrigue to an already contentious case.
As the lawsuit progresses, observers will be watching closely to see how these claims hold up, especially given Musk’s well-documented tech-savvy persona and frequent public demonstrations of using computers for both business and leisure.
(Source: Wired)
