A federal judge has rejected xAI’s attempt to prevent the discovery of Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX emails in the ongoing lawsuit involving Apple and OpenAI, marking another setback for Musk’s legal team as the case moves forward.
The dispute is part of a lawsuit Musk filed against Apple and OpenAI over concerns that Apple’s partnership with OpenAI gave ChatGPT an unfair advantage within Apple’s ecosystem, including features tied to Siri and Apple Intelligence. Musk argued that the arrangement harmed competition and affected the visibility of Grok on the App Store.
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Court Backs Earlier Discovery Ruling
Last month, United States Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray, Jr. heard several discovery disputes raised by Apple, OpenAI, X, and xAI. During that hearing, Judge Ray agreed that Apple must provide documents related to its Gemini agreement and also ruled that Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX email accounts should be searched for potentially relevant materials.
X and xAI argued that they did not control records from Tesla or SpaceX because those companies were not parties to the lawsuit. However, OpenAI countered that Musk regularly conducts business across multiple companies and uses different email accounts for work-related communications.
The court found that argument persuasive, especially after evidence showed that xAI’s chief financial officer had sent company-related financial updates to Musk’s SpaceX email address.
Judge Pittman Affirms the Decision
After Judge Ray’s ruling, X and xAI filed an objection and requested a pause while the court reviewed the matter. United States District Judge Mark Pittman has now rejected both requests.
In his order, Pittman stated that there is reason to believe Musk conducted X and xAI business through his Tesla and SpaceX email accounts. The judge also pointed to Musk’s leadership roles across the companies and the documented use of those accounts for business communications.
As a result, the emails remain subject to discovery and must be produced if they contain relevant information related to the lawsuit.
No Production Deadline Yet
While the court has upheld the discovery order, Judge Pittman did not set a deadline for producing the emails.
During an earlier hearing, lawyers representing X and xAI told the court that they could not provide an exact timeline for gathering the records, though they said they would move as quickly as possible if ordered to do so.
The ruling gives OpenAI broader access to potentially relevant communications and keeps the discovery process moving forward as the high-profile legal battle continues.
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