The craziest part of Musk v Altman happened while the jury was out of the room. Jared Birchall, Elon’s finance guy, answered a question he wasn’t supposed to and got himself into hot water.
When asked about Sam Altman's role in the xAI bid for OpenAI, Birchall rambled on about negotiations between for-profit and non-profit sides, leaving his own team baffled. His testimony was struck down but the damage had been done – Musk’s lawyers may have opened a Pandora's box of discovery.
Judge Rogers started questioning Birchall herself, making him squirm with her relentless probing. He claimed he didn’t remember much about Musk or his team, which left the judge unconvinced. Birchall admitted to speaking only with Toberoff and other consortium members without specific recollections of discussions.
The trial took an unexpected turn when the jury was dismissed early. Judge Rogers' direct questioning highlighted inconsistencies in Birchall’s story, leaving him floundering under intense scrutiny. It's a reminder that even seasoned lawyers can stumble – perhaps we should all take notes from this tech billionaire’s legal battle?
