OpenAI Wins $150B Lawsuit Against Elon Musk, Surpasses 900 Million Users, Expands Enterprise AI - May 2026

Key points

• •On May 18, 2026, OpenAI won a decisive legal battle against Elon Musk, who had filed a $150 billion lawsuit alleging misconduct. The California jury dismissed all of Musk's claims within a few hours, citing statute of limitations issues, which also removes a significant hurdle for OpenAI’s planned IPO.[The New York Times][Fast Company]
• •OpenAI actively defended itself on legal fronts beyond the Musk case, filing motions arguing that its ChatGPT AI is not a licensed lawyer and cannot provide legal advice, seeking dismissal of lawsuits claiming ChatGPT responses are legally binding.[Reuters]
• •The company’s user base continues to grow rapidly, surpassing 900 million users globally as of May 2026. However, OpenAI faces challenges related to compute resource shortages, prompting signals of new fundraising efforts to support infrastructure needs.[digitimes]
• •Strategic partnerships are central to OpenAI’s enterprise push, exemplified by its collaboration with Dell Technologies announced in May 2026 to enable deployment of its Codex AI model in hybrid and on-premises environments for business clients.[OpenAI]
• •OpenAI expanded its technological capabilities through the quiet acquisition of Weights.gg, a startup focused on AI voice cloning, indicating a move into biometric and voice-related AI technologies to enhance its product offerings.[Biometric Update]
• •Regulatory scrutiny is increasing, as Canadian authorities found OpenAI in violation of privacy laws in 2026, signaling growing challenges around compliance and data privacy in different international markets.[Let's Data Science]
• •As part of efforts to increase market penetration and user engagement, OpenAI launched a program to provide free ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to all residents of Malta, reflecting its strategy to expand premium service adoption in selected regions.[Dataconomy]

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