Summary4 min read

WSJ Tech News Briefing

Episode: TNB Tech Minute: Jury Unanimously Rejects Elon Musk’s Claims Against OpenAI

Date: May 18, 2026

Host: Danny Lewis

Episode Overview

In this Tech Minute, The Wall Street Journal’s Danny Lewis delivers a concise summary of the day's top tech headlines. The episode opens with the outcome of Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, examines Carvana’s surprising expansion into new vehicle sales, and concludes with exclusive news on Elliott Investment Management’s stake in Bio-Rad Laboratories. The brief also includes insights into the organizational challenges of scaling AI within enterprises.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI Dismissed

[00:16–01:13]

Headline: A jury unanimously rejects Elon Musk’s claims against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman.
Details:
- Musk had accused OpenAI’s leadership of misleading him into supporting the company financially, believing it would remain non-profit, whereas it eventually pursued for-profit ventures.
- The jury’s deliberation was expeditious—less than two hours.
- Legal Decision: Musk’s suit was denied on a technical ground: the statute of limitations had expired.
- Musk’s attorney indicated that he’ll reserve the right to appeal the verdict.
- OpenAI’s legal team countered Musk’s narrative, claiming he was not only informed but involved and supportive of the company’s shift.
Notable Quote:
- "The finding that the world’s richest man waited too long to bring his lawsuit against the ChatGPT maker and its CEO Sam Altman." — Danny Lewis, [00:22]
- "OpenAI’s lawyers argued that Musk not only knew about the plan, but supported it and sought to control the venture." — Danny Lewis, [01:05]

2. Carvana Moves into New Car Sales

[01:13–02:01]

Headline: The online used car giant Carvana is expanding to sell new vehicles through a partnership with Stellantis (parent of Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram).
Details:
- Carvana is now a franchise dealer for Stellantis, starting with a location outside Phoenix, AZ, that saw a dramatic increase in monthly car sales—from 30–50 to around 350.
- Carvana invested over $160 million to open six more Stellantis dealerships nationwide.
- Traditional dealerships are concerned about this unconventional competition.
- Stellantis responded by restricting the number of franchise dealerships a single operator may acquire within a year.
Notable Quote:
- "Carvana’s first dealership outside of Phoenix, Arizona, went from selling 30 to 50 cars a month before it took over to about 350 a month." — Danny Lewis, [01:37]
- “Stellantis has since prohibited dealers from acquiring more than one dealership in a rolling 12 month period, according to a memo viewed by the Journal.” — Danny Lewis, [01:50]

3. Elliott Investment Management’s Stake in Bio-Rad

[02:01–02:18]

Headline: Elliott Investment Management takes a substantial position in Bio-Rad Laboratories.
Details:
- The activist investor is expected to advocate for improvements in Bio-Rad’s stock performance.
- Bio-Rad holds a significant strategic investment in Sartorius, a German pharmaceutical supplier where Elliott is also an investor.
- Specific figures on the size of Elliott’s stake or concrete plans remain undisclosed.
Notable Quote:
- "We exclusively report that Elliott Investment Management has built a sizable stake in Bio Rad Laboratories." — Danny Lewis, [02:02]

AI Scaling Challenges: Expert Insights

[02:34–03:19]

This segment contains custom content from IBM Consulting featuring Caroline Roach, offering insight relevant to enterprise tech professionals on the challenges of AI implementation.

Shift in AI Deployment Focus:
- Historically, model selection was the top concern; now, organizational change is the key challenge.
Importance of Alignment:
- Success requires organizational alignment around goals, workflows, and incentives.
- Technological prowess alone doesn’t lead to business value without cohesive company priorities.
Memorable Quotes:
- "The biggest thing that I'm talking about with my clients now is how do I drive change within my companies." — Caroline Roach, [02:42]
- "The organizations that are the most successful set very clear targets and have several priorities that are very clear across the enterprise. The technology is really good, but if you're not changing your organizational alignment, not incentivizing your people correctly, not looking at workflows, you're not going to see real value with it." — Caroline Roach, [02:58]

Noteworthy Moments & Timestamps

[00:16] — Danny Lewis introduces the day’s main headlines.
[00:22] — Jury verdict on Musk v. OpenAI announced.
[01:37] — Carvana’s sales jump highlighted.
[02:02] — Exclusive report on Elliott Investment Management’s Bio-Rad stake.
[02:42] — Caroline Roach on AI scaling shifting from technology to organization.
[02:58] — Key insight on what separates successful AI initiatives.

Conclusion

This episode of the Tech Minute swiftly delivers updates on the latest high-stakes confrontations and shifting strategies in the tech and business landscape, alongside timely expert advice on navigating the evolving demands of AI adoption in the enterprise.

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Transcript8 lines

[00:00]
A
Many companies are struggling to scale their AI deployments or even move them past the pilot stage. Often the problem isn't technology, but organizational misalignment around goals, processes and incentives. At the break, join Caroline Roach, senior partner, IBM Consulting, to learn why.
[00:17]
B
Here's your afternoon TNB Tech minute for Monday, May 18th. I'm Danny Lewis for the Wall Street Journal. A jury unanimously rejected Elon Musk's claims against OpenAI, the finding that the world's richest man waited too long to bring his lawsuit against the ChatGPT maker and its CEO Sam Altman. In deliberations that lasted less than two hours, the jury found against Musk on technical grounds, determining the statute of limitations had expired. Musk's attorney said in court that his side will reserve its right to appeal. Musk had accused his fellow OpenAI co founder of manipulating him into thinking he was donating tens of millions of dollars to launch an AI developing nonprofit, only for it to be turned into a for profit company. OpenAI's lawyers argued that Musk not only knew about the plan, but supported it and sought to control the venture. Used car giant Carvana is expanding its business into new vehicles. The online retailer has become a franchise dealer for Stellantis, the parent company behind Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram, according to Stellantis figures shared with dealers and seen by the Wall Street Journal. Carvana's first dealership outside of Phoenix, Arizona, went from selling 30 to 50 cars a month before it took over to to about 350amonth. Since then, Carvana has spent more than $160 million to add six more Stellantis dealerships across the country, according to a regulatory filing. The move hasn't sat well with traditional car dealers, and Stellantis has since prohibited dealers from acquiring more than one dealership in a rolling 12 month period, according to a memo viewed by the Journal. A Stellantis spokeswoman said it wants to ensure healthy competition for its customers. Carvana declined to comment. And we exclusively report that Elliott Investment Management has built a sizable stake in Bio Rad Laboratories. People familiar with the matter say the activist investor plans to push the supplier of life science tools and diagnostics products to boost its underperforming stock price, the people said. Bio rad has a $5 billion strategic investment in German pharmaceutical and lab supplier Sartorius, a company that Elliott is also a large investor in. The exact size of Elliott's stake in Bio Rad, as well as the details of its plans, couldn't be learned. And that's it for your t and B Tech minutes. We'll have another quick tech update in the morning.
[02:34]
A
Scaling AI successfully requires more than the right technology Here again is Caroline Roach, Senior Partner, IBM Consulting the biggest thing
[02:42]
C
that we were talking about a year ago is what model to use. And the biggest thing that I'm talking about with my clients now is how do I drive change within my companies.
[02:53]
A
Able to identify correct and then avoid misalignment will be best positioned to deliver meaningful business value from AI.
[02:59]
C
The organizations that are the most successful set very clear targets and have several priorities that are very clear across the enterprise. The technology is really good, but if you're not changing your organizational alignment, not incentivizing your people correctly, not looking at workflows, you're not going to see real value with it.
[03:20]
A
Visit IBM.com think leadership to learn how building organizations operational alignment can help deliver AI deployments that scale and drive growth.
[03:28]
D
This content was created by Custom content from WSJ, a unit of the Wall Street Journal Advertising department.