A high-profile legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI is officially heading to a jury trial in the spring of 2026, marking a pivotal moment in the intensifying rivalry between the tech billionaire and the artificial intelligence firm he helped create.

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, presiding in the Northern District of California, issued the ruling on Friday. The decision follows a previous denial of Musk’s request to halt OpenAI’s ongoing transition to a for-profit model. Instead, the court proposed an expedited trial—a move both Musk and OpenAI agreed to last month.

At the heart of the dispute is Musk’s claim that OpenAI has deviated from its founding mission: to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of humanity. Musk, who co-founded the company in 2015 alongside Sam Altman and others, left before OpenAI gained prominence. He now accuses the organization—and Altman—of prioritizing profit over principle.

OpenAI, led by Altman, has strongly denied Musk’s allegations. The company argues that its shift to a capped-profit structure was necessary to secure the significant capital required to build cutting-edge AI systems like ChatGPT and to remain competitive in an increasingly expensive industry.

The feud also has personal and strategic undertones. In 2023, Musk launched xAI, a rival AI firm, and more recently folded his social media company, X, into the xAI umbrella in a deal that valued X at $33 billion. OpenAI leadership has suggested that Musk’s legal maneuvers may be motivated, in part, by a desire to disrupt a formidable competitor.

As reported by Reuters, the lawsuit gained additional attention earlier this year when OpenAI reportedly rejected a staggering $97.4 billion unsolicited acquisition bid led by Musk. The offer, which OpenAI declined with a terse “no thank you,” underscored just how high the stakes have become in the race to dominate AI development.

With the case now headed for a jury trial, the outcome could influence not only the future of OpenAI’s corporate structure but also broader debates around the governance of artificial intelligence in the private sector.