AI NewsThe OpenAI trial wraps up, and the Musk founder machine keeps spinning

The OpenAI trial wraps up, and the Musk founder machine keeps spinning

8:16 AM IST · May 16, 2026

The Musk v. Altman trial came to a close this week, and the final arguments kept circling back to one question:can we trust the people in charge of AI?All of this is playing out as SpaceX charges toward what could be one of the largest IPOs in American history, witha whole generationof foundersalready spinning out of the Musk empire. On this episode of TechCrunch’sEquitypodcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane break down the trial’s closing stretch and what the growing Elon Musk founder ecosystem looks like on the ground, and the other deals that caught our eye this week. Listen to the full episode to hear about: Subscribe to Equity onYouTube,Apple Podcasts,Overcast,Spotifyand all the casts. You also can follow Equity onXandThreads, at @EquityPod.