Court Exhibit·18 FEB 2016
When A Rival Leaps Ahead, Change Your Cadence
A single alarming data point should reset how often your leadership team talks, not just what they talk about.
Source document — Regular Infrequent Meetings with Elon — February 2016 Email Thread · Musk v. Altman (OpenAI) · 4:24-cv-04722 (CAND), Doc. 351-33, filed 2025-11-07
Excerpt · In Elon Musk & Ilya Sutskever's own words
From Elon Musk to Ilya Sutskever, Sam Teller, and Greg Brockman (February 18, 2016):
"I think I should probably do this every week. My dinner with Dem was extremely alarming. I feel like they are playing the Super Bowl and we are playing the Puppy Bowl. Unless we want to have our ass handed to us, we need to step up our game dramatically. Let's have a conf call later today with the key people of OpenAI later today, if possible, otherwise tomorrow."
The thread was initiated by Ilya Sutskever:
"Hi Sam, Greg and I think that it will be useful for OpenAI's long term success if the two of us had a 30 minute meeting with Elon every two weeks. Elon has built incredible organizations before, and the more of his lessons and experience could be applied to OpenAI, the more effective we will be."
The daily letter · Free
This edition is for members — but the daily letter is free.
One real corporate email, and the lesson it teaches, in your inbox every weekday morning. Free. Unsubscribe in one click.
How this surfaced
- Source type
- Court Exhibit
- Case / record
- Musk v. Altman (OpenAI)
- Citation
- 4:24-cv-04722 (CAND), Doc. 351-33, filed 2025-11-07
- Date authored
- February 18, 2016
- License
- Public domain
- Original
- View the primary source →
More from Elon Musk
Ilya Sutskever ·OpenAI ·12 JUL 2017
Turn A Research Problem Into A Capital Problem
When you can't invent the answer, buy the conditions under which the answer becomes findable.
Sam Altman ·OpenAI ·6 MAR 2019
Design The Structure Before You Need The Money
When your mission and your capital needs collide, invent the vehicle first — then go raise.
Sam Altman ·OpenAI ·31 AUG 2018
Structure Your Cap Table Around Your Mission, Not the Reverse
If your mission truly comes first, your legal structure has to prove it — even to yourself.
Ilya Sutskever ·OpenAI ·12 JUL 2017
Turn A Research Problem Into A Capital Problem
When you can't invent the answer, buy the conditions under which the answer becomes findable.
Sam Altman ·OpenAI ·6 MAR 2019
Design The Structure Before You Need The Money
When your mission and your capital needs collide, invent the vehicle first — then go raise.
Sam Altman ·OpenAI ·31 AUG 2018
Structure Your Cap Table Around Your Mission, Not the Reverse
If your mission truly comes first, your legal structure has to prove it — even to yourself.