Meet William Savitt, Sam Altman's Lawyer Who Beat Elon Musk Before

Key Points:

• William Savitt, a top litigator at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, is leading Sam Altman and OpenAI's legal team in a high-profile trial against Elon Musk, who alleges Altman defrauded him by transforming OpenAI into a corporate entity rather than a nonprofit.
• Savitt previously represented Twitter in its 2022 lawsuit forcing Musk to complete his acquisition of the company, and his firm helped OpenAI restructure its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation, a move Musk seeks to reverse.
• Despite his low public profile, Savitt has decades of experience in corporate litigation, including defending major mergers and acquisitions, representing high-profile clients like Brad Pitt, and working on complex Delaware corporate law cases.
• Savitt's background includes clerking for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a colorful youth spent playing in rock bands and driving a cab before attending Columbia Law School.
• Known for his calm and meticulous courtroom demeanor, Savitt is skilled at challenging opponents, exemplified by his persistent cross-examination of Musk during the trial, and he remains motivated by working on cases with significant global impact.