Microsoft CEO Testifies in Oakland Trial, Defends Partnership with OpenAI

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella arrives to court at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, Calif., on May 11, 2026. Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty ImagesOAKLAND—Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Monday told a federal court that his company’s landmark partnership with OpenAI—a total of $13 billion invested in a series of intellectual property licensing agreements since 2019—has helped the embattled artificial intelligence lab further its nonprofit mission.“I’m very proud of the fact we took the risks when no one else was willing to sponsor this fledging lab that had an idea this particular technology could make a real difference,” Nadella said, pointing to the commercial products, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot, that have been launched as a result.