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Narrator
Good morning.
Cecilia Ley
Elon Musk takes Sam Altman to court in a deeply personal lawsuit. NBC tells us what's at stake for the ChatGPT creator.
Tech Analyst
Potentially, I think from OpenAI's perspective, it would be a crippling of the company.
Cecilia Ley
One of the top oil producers quits the powerful OPEC cartel in a shock to the industry.
Narrator
The Wall Street Journal explains why it matters for the US and the British King goes to Congress.
Oscar Wilde (quoted)
As Oscar Wilde we have really everything in common with America nowadays. Except of course, language.
Cecilia Ley
It's Wednesday, April 29th. I'm Cecilia Ley and this is Apple
Narrator
News Today,
Cecilia Ley
Two of the world's most powerful tech CEOs have taken their personal
Narrator
fallout to court in a multi million dollar trial that could transform the industry.
Cecilia Ley
Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman and
Narrator
Greg Brockman, the co founders of OpenAI, the company that brought ChatGPT to the world.
Cecilia Ley
Musk had been an early investor and
Narrator
co founder of OpenAI, which was originally created as a nonprofit back in 2015.
Tech Analyst
Their original idea was that artificial intelligence was too important to be left to a private corporation and that the incentives would be all wrong if for profit tech companies got their hands on the leading AI systems and that this was really something that had to be developed in the public interest.
Cecilia Ley
David Ingram is a tech reporter for NBC News and is covering the trial
Narrator
in Oakland, California which began this week.
Cecilia Ley
He told us that Musk is accusing
Narrator
Altman of quote, stealing a charity when OpenAI was turned into a for profit business.
Cecilia Ley
Musk claims he was deceived of donating
Narrator
roughly $38 million to OpenAI under the belief it would remain nonprofit. Yesterday, Musk took the standard.
Tech Analyst
So he took the stand kind of with a bang. So the first question was, you know, what's going to happen if you lose this lawsuit? And Musk made the statement that if he loses, he thinks what will happen will be the destruction of the foundation of the entire nonprofit system in the United States. Which, you know, I think got some gasps in the, in the courtroom.
Cecilia Ley
Altman's lawyers say Musk was only upset
Narrator
after OpenAI became a runaway success.
Cecilia Ley
And now he's attacking the company because
Narrator
it's a competitor to his own chatbot model corporate rock developed by xai, which has generated controversy of its own for producing deep fakes and racist content. Altman and Musk's relationship has taken a turn today. It looks very different from when they launched OpenAI over a decade ago.
Tech Analyst
I think evidence from the time is that Sam Altman looked up to Elon Musk in a lot of ways. They did a video together back in, I think, 2016.
Elon Musk
Today we have Elon Musk. Elon, thank you for joining us.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Tech Analyst
Where they talked about OpenAI, which was then still very young, AI is probably
Elon Musk
the single biggest item in the near term that's likely to affect humanity. So it's very important that we have the advent of AI in a good way.
Cecilia Ley
Now Musk calls him scam Altman, a
Narrator
label that drew criticism from the judge yesterday. He's seeking $150 billion in damages and wants Altman to unwind their move to a for profit model.
Cecilia Ley
But Ingram points out that building AI is incredibly expensive.
Narrator
It demands highly sought after engineers and a huge am of infrastructure, including data centers.
Cecilia Ley
OpenAI has said in the past that
Narrator
this demand can only be satisfied in a for profit model and that they remain guided by safety principles.
Tech Analyst
If there are changes to OpenAI from this lawsuit, I think we could see a radical shift in not only OpenAI as a company, but the whole AI industry. I think what Musk is asking for, if he were to prevail, is radical changes in how OpenAI is managed, in who is managing it.
Narrator
The explosion of ChatGPT has led to unprecedented investment into tech and propelled the stock market to new heights. If Musk wins, it could transform the landscape for AI far beyond one company. The trial is expected to last around a month.
Cecilia Ley
A bombshell announcement shook the oil industry
Narrator
yesterday as the United Arab Emirates said it was quitting the world's most important energy cartel. OPEC is a group of oil producing countries. They coordinate production levels and ensure their precious commodity is flowing at a rate that supports their economies. The UAE is one of the biggest producers within opec, which also includes Russia and Saudi Arabia. By leaving, the UAE has made it clear that it wants to ramp up its own production levels. Benoit Fakon is a Middle east correspondent for the Wall Street Journal.
Benoit Fakon
It obviously has different implications. You know, the UAE will, will pump at will if it wants now, and that generally actually pushes prices lower.
Narrator
Fakon told us that the White House will count this as a win. President Trump has long criticized OPEC for keeping prices high, which he says punishes U.S. consumers. Longer term, Fakon says this could bring the UAE closer to the U.S. and ultimately transform how oil prices are dictated.
Cecilia Ley
But that's some ways away.
Narrator
For now, more oil flowing is exactly what the world needs. As Fakon reports, the UAE's decision might ultimately bring much more to the market eventually. But supplies are hitting a crunch as the blockades in the Strait of Hormuz continue.
Benoit Fakon
That means most exports from the Persian Gulf wherever coming from Iran and most importantly coming from the Arab monarchies on the other side are going to struggle to come through. And as far as we know, there's no new deliveries coming from Iran.
Cecilia Ley
Now Iran is in a scramble to
Narrator
figure out where to store all of the oil it's producing but can't ship out. A shutdown in production would be crippling and Iran has resorted to things like storing barrels at abandoned so called junk storage sites. They're also attempting to ship oil to China by rail.
Cecilia Ley
Some estimates say Iran could run out
Narrator
of storage capacity within two weeks and be forced to cut their production by half. A timeline Iran disputes this week, the regime reportedly made an offer to open the Strait of Hormuz fully if the US Ended its own blockade and saved talks about Tehran's nuclear ambitions for another day. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox why the administration was skeptical if what
Elon Musk
they mean by opening the straits is yes, the straits are open as long as you coordinate with Iran. Get our permission or we'll blow you up and you pay us. That's not opening the straits. Those are international waterways.
Narrator
Rising gas prices are putting pressure on Trump, too, as the country gets closer to the midterms and globally, countries are cutting back working days and curbing electricity usage. Fakon says the Iranians believe this dynamic works for them.
Benoit Fakon
Their view is that there has been enormous economic pain inflicted on the global economy, including the US and that the US Will blink first because the pain threshold is much lower in the US So in their eyes, the balance of resistance or who we blink first is in Iran's favor.
Cecilia Ley
Yesterday, US Gas prices spiked to their
Narrator
highest level in four years.
Cecilia Ley
Later today, Fed Chair Jerome Powell will announce an interest rate decision that will
Narrator
likely be the last of his term as chair.
Cecilia Ley
But a key question remains for his
Narrator
time at the Federal Reserve. Stay or go?
Chris Rugaber
He is serving a separate term as the Fed governor, which lasts until January 2028, and typically fed chairs step down when their term in the leadership is over. But Powell could stay on as a governor, which hasn't happened since 1948.
Narrator
Chris Rugaber is a reporter with Associated Press. Powell had vowed to stay on past May 15th if a DOJ probe into him about Fed building renovations didn't end. Last Friday, the US Attorney for D.C. had said that the investigation was. But this past weekend, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signaled on NBC's Meet the Press that aspects of the probe were still active, depending on what the inspector general finds.
Todd Blanche
What we wanted to make sure is that this conduct is investigated. That's been the goal from the start, is to understand what is going on with that situation and with the building and the cost overruns and why it's costing so much money.
Cecilia Ley
It's unclear if Powell will be satisfied
Narrator
by where things stand at the moment
Chris Rugaber
in order to protect Fed independence. If he feels that's necessary, Powell could stay on as a governor. He would then deprive the Trump administration of one of the seven seats on the Board of Governors. Trump has appointed three of those governors so far, so this would keep Trump from getting the majority.
Cecilia Ley
The announcement was enough to clear a
Narrator
pathway for Powell's successor, Kevin Warsh.
Cecilia Ley
Republican Senator Thom Tillis had said he
Narrator
wouldn't vote for him while an investigation into Powell was active in. Now he said he had the assurances he needed to clear the way.
Cecilia Ley
With that, Warsh will likely get through
Narrator
a committee vote today and pass a full confirmation vote later.
Cecilia Ley
If Powell does stay, it could also
Narrator
create a situation that might lead to more divisions among the financial policymakers.
Chris Rugaber
The joke about the two popes is you would have a former chair and a new chair on the board at the same time, and there could be some downsides. For example, some other members of the Fed's rate setting committee might decide to listen more to Jerome Powell, even though he's no longer the chair. But you know, he was the chair. He has a lot of support among current Fed officials and so he might still have some sway.
Narrator
Even with Warsh leading the Fed, it may not be any easier to deliver the quick rate cuts Trump wants, largely because inflation has been driven higher by the war in Iran.
Chris Rugaber
So he's got to build a consensus. Most of them have said they want to wait and see how the Iran war affects the economy. We've seen inflation jump on the back of higher gas prices coming out of the Iran war. Inflation reached a two year high in March, so a lot of Fed officials have said they want to see how that plays out. The oil price spike could be a one time thing. It may not create ongoing inflation, but we'll have to see if that's how it plays out. I think it'll be hard for Warsh to engineer a rate cut anytime soon.
Cecilia Ley
The Wall Street Journal notes that Powell
Narrator
is the only governor on the board to have been appointed by presidents of both parties, named by Obama, elevated to chair by Trump, and then reappointed by Biden.
Cecilia Ley
Before we let you go, here's a few other stories we're following. King Charles continued his state visit to
Narrator
the US with a whirlwind of activities that included an elaborate arrival ceremony at the White House, a close postdoor meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office, and an address to a joint session of Congress.
Oscar Wilde (quoted)
The very principle on which your Congress was founded, no taxation without representation, was at once a fundamental disagreement between us and at the same time a shared democratic value which you inherited from us. Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it.
Cecilia Ley
The king also stressed the need to tackle climate change and the importance of
Narrator
checks and balances in government.
Cecilia Ley
He received a standing ovation.
Narrator
But his visit comes amid tensions between Trump and the UK's leader Keir Starmer over the Iran conflict. Yesterday, the president's tone was warm, declaring that, quote, americans have no closer friends than the British.
Cecilia Ley
Former FBI Director James Comey is under indictment again. A federal grand jury in North Carolina
Narrator
is investigating Comey over a photo he posted on social media showing seashells arranged to show the numbers 86 and 47. 86 is a phrase commonly used to mean getting rid of something, and 47 is Trump's number in the presidential sequence. Trump supporters say the message was a threat against him. Comey deleted the post, saying he didn't realize people could associate those numbers with violence. A previous indictment against Comey was thrown out late last year. ABC also reports the new charges come as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has ramped up investigations into some of Trump's perceived political opponents. And finally, a group of 80 so called cocaine hippos had been causing so much havoc in Colombia they were being threatened with euthanasia. But now they could get a stay of execution. Back in the 1980s, the drug kingpin Pablo Escobar had introduced hippos, which are native to to Colombia. But after his death, the animals left Escobar's private zoo and they made a new life, flourishing along Colombia's rivers without any natural predators. Their presence has caused a lot of damage. They've attacked fishermen and have seriously disrupted the local ecosystem. Now their savior is Anant Ambani, the son of an Indian tycoon, who has requested to relocate the animals to a wildlife rescue center. The hippos could soon be enjoying a
Cecilia Ley
new life in India among hundreds of
Narrator
elephants, as well as lions, tigers and bears. That's quite a journey. You can find all these stories and
Cecilia Ley
more in the Apple news app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a
Narrator
narrated article coming up next, Variety examines how the head of Warner Brothers, David Zaslav, navigated the historic studio to its potential merger with Paramount.
Cecilia Ley
If you're listening in the podcast app,
Narrator
follow Apple News Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
Sam Altman
Sam.
Episode Title: Elon Musk Takes on OpenAI’s CEO in a Bitter Court Battle
Host: Cecilia Ley (Apple News)
Date: April 29, 2026
In this episode, Cecilia Ley breaks down the escalating legal battle between two of tech’s most influential figures: Elon Musk and Sam Altman of OpenAI. The lawsuit, which could have implications for the future of nonprofit foundations and the entire AI landscape, is examined with input from expert journalists and analysts. The episode also spotlights major global stories, including the United Arab Emirates’ dramatic exit from OPEC, turmoil in global oil markets, the fate of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and a surprise effort to save Colombia’s famed ‘cocaine hippos.’
[00:51–04:27]
Background:
Musk's Legal Claims:
Industry Impact:
OpenAI’s Defense:
Notable Quotes:
Industry Context:
Potential Consequences:
[04:27–06:17]
News:
Industry Impact:
Geopolitical Tensions:
Notable Quote:
[07:39–10:42]
The Dilemma:
Political Context:
Risks of Overlap:
Inflation & The Iran War:
Historical Note:
[11:00–13:42]
King Charles’ U.S. State Visit:
James Comey Indicted Over Social Post:
Colombia’s ‘Cocaine Hippos’ Find a Saviour:
On the lawsuit’s stakes:
On Musk and Altman’s changing relationship:
On AI’s importance:
On OPEC’s future:
On Fed succession drama:
On enduring US-UK partnership:
This episode skillfully weaves together industry-shaking courtrooms, global economic dramas, and quirky environmental sagas. At its heart is the Musk-Altman showdown—a battle that encapsulates the murky intersection of ethics, innovation, and personal ambition in today’s tech industry. Meanwhile, tectonic shifts in the oil market and US central banking show just how interconnected—and unpredictable—world affairs have become.