Microsoft was worried OpenAI would run off to Amazon and ‘shit-talk’ Azure
TL;DR
Court documents from the ongoing Musk v. Altman trial reveal rare communications between Microsoft's top executives about investing in OpenAI and fears the AI startup could 'storm off to Amazon' and 'shit-talk' Microsoft. Days after OpenAI's bot beat a Dota 2 pro in 2017, Sam Altman responded to Satya Nadella's congratulations email with a proposal for a far bigger partnership to fund OpenAI's next AI research phase. The internal messages expose how uncertain Microsoft was about locking down its AI ally.
Nauti's Take
Nauti sees real value in this peek behind the curtain: even a multi-billion-dollar partnership felt fragile early on, and the public record forces Microsoft to own its old playbook — a clear win for transparency. The catch is what these disclosures mean for current AI deals; no investor wants internal emails surfacing in court years later.
Practical takeaway: anyone negotiating with hyperscalers gains useful leverage from the new openness, but should still tighten exit and IP clauses carefully.
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