The Courtroom Showdown Between Elon Musk and Sam Altman episode artwork

EPISODE · May 18, 2026 · 37 MIN

The Courtroom Showdown Between Elon Musk and Sam Altman

from The Daily · host Deborah Lebree

For the last three weeks, a messy, dramatic battle has played out between two of the most powerful titans of tech in the world: Elon Musk and Sam Altman. As jury deliberations begin today, the technology reporter Mike Isaac takes us inside the courtroom drama and explains how a corporate dispute got extremely personal. Guest: Mike Isaac, a New York Times reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area, covering tech companies and Silicon Valley. Background reading:  Inside the courtroom circus with Elon Musk and Sam Altman.Musk lawyer’s question for Sam Altman on the stand: Are you trustworthy? Photo: Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters, Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the last three weeks, a messy, dramatic battle has played out between two of the most powerful titans of tech in the world: Elon Musk and Sam Altman. As jury deliberations begin today, the technology reporter Mike Isaac takes us inside the courtroom drama and explains how a corporate dispute got extremely personal. Guest: Mike Isaac, a New York Times reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area, covering tech companies and Silicon Valley. Background reading:  Inside the courtroom circus with Elon Musk and Sam Altman.Musk lawyer’s question for Sam Altman on the stand: Are you trustworthy? Photo: Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters, Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NOW PLAYING

The Courtroom Showdown Between Elon Musk and Sam Altman

0:00 37:15

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Daily?

This episode is 37 minutes long.

When was this The Daily episode published?

This episode was published on May 18, 2026.

What is this episode about?

For the last three weeks, a messy, dramatic battle has played out between two of the most powerful titans of tech in the world: Elon Musk and Sam Altman. As jury deliberations begin today, the technology reporter Mike Isaac takes us inside the...

Can I download this The Daily episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!