A judge told Musk he wasn’t excused from trial. He went to China with Trump anyway.
Yahoo • • business
Key Points:
- Elon Musk traveled to China with President Donald Trump during a trial in which he is a key witness, despite a federal judge's order that he remain available for recall testimony at short notice.
- Musk is involved in a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company deviated from its original nonprofit mission by establishing a for-profit arm; he testified over three days last month.
- The judge placed Musk on "recall status," meaning he must be ready to testify again if called, but did not explicitly prohibit travel or define recall status boundaries.
- Legal experts note it is unusual for a witness on recall status to leave the country without prior judicial approval, and Musk reportedly did not obtain such permission before traveling.
- Musk's absence could complicate the trial if he is recalled to testify on the final day of evidence, though his substantial resources might allow him to return quickly if needed.