OpenAI loosens Microsoft ties as Musk trial begins

OpenAI and Microsoft have amended their partnership, making Microsoft’s license to OpenAI technology non-exclusive while keeping Microsoft as OpenAI’s primary cloud partner.

In statements posted on April 27, both companies said the revised deal gives OpenAI more flexibility. OpenAI said it can now serve products across any cloud provider, while Microsoft said its access to OpenAI intellectual property is non-exclusive through 2032.

The companies also said revenue-share payments from OpenAI to Microsoft will continue through 2030, with a cap. The change marks a notable shift from earlier terms that tied OpenAI much more closely to Microsoft’s cloud platform.

The timing adds another layer to a separate legal fight over OpenAI’s future. On the same day, jury selection began in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman over the company’s for-profit conversion and broader corporate direction.

That lawsuit could help shape the public narrative around OpenAI’s structure, even as the company pushes further toward a more flexible commercial setup. The immediate question is how far OpenAI will expand beyond Azure and whether the revised partnership changes its operational dependence on Microsoft in practice.