--- title: "OpenAI's 2026 Scorecard: A String of Lawsuits, Losses, and Broken Promises" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/279805053.md" description: "OpenAI is facing significant challenges in 2026, including $11.5 billion in losses from 2025, lawsuits, and backlash over broken commitments. Co-founder Elon Musk is set to go to trial for fraud, claiming the company strayed from its nonprofit roots. Microsoft, OpenAI's largest shareholder, is considering legal action after OpenAI signed a $50 billion deal with Amazon, allegedly breaching their contract. These issues may jeopardize OpenAI's planned IPO and have raised concerns about its leadership and profitability, with analysts predicting a $207 billion funding gap before 2030." datetime: "2026-03-19T13:51:04.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/279805053.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/279805053.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/279805053.md) --- # OpenAI's 2026 Scorecard: A String of Lawsuits, Losses, and Broken Promises OpenAI entered 2026 confronting a pattern of broken commitments that had turned some of its closest allies into adversaries and cost the company $11.5 billion in 2025 last quarter. Amid the challenges it faces in 2026, co-founder Elon Musk is heading to trial on fraud charges, and Microsoft (MSFT), OpenAI's largest shareholder, is reportedly considering legal action over an alleged breach of contract. Additionally, six months of consumer backlash over model retirements has exposed the artificial intelligence company struggling to honor its own public promises. ### Claim 70% Off TipRanks Premium - Unlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions - Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis and maximize your portfolio's potential ## **How OpenAI Built a Pattern of Broken Promises** Microsoft invested $13 billion in OpenAI and secured cloud exclusivity for its Azure platform under a binding contract. That commitment was broken on Feb. 27 when OpenAI signed a $50 billion deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS), granting it exclusive hosting rights for Frontier, its AI agent platform. As a result, Microsoft argues that the move breaches its existing agreement and has warned that it is prepared to take legal action if OpenAI does not comply. The pattern extends to OpenAI's founding. Musk, who contributed roughly $38 million to $45 million in early funding, alleges that CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman steered the company away from its original nonprofit mission, a core condition of his backing. That shift was formalized in Oct. 2025 when OpenAI converted to a for-profit public benefit corporation, which Musk claims breached the founding agreement. His fraud trial is set to begin April 27, 2026, in Oakland, where he is seeking up to $135 billion in damages. The same pattern of broken commitments also extends beyond the boardroom to OpenAI's user base. In Aug. 2025, after backlash over an earlier attempt to retire GPT-4o, Altman publicly promised users they would receive "plenty of notice" before any future removal. Yet, when OpenAI formally announced GPT-4o's retirement on Jan. 29, 2026, users were given just 15 days' notice before its Feb. 13 shutdown, triggering six months of sustained global consumer backlash over model retirements and degraded replacements. Have high conviction in NVDA? Leverage your view ## **OpenAI's Fallouts Drive Losses and IPO Uncertainty** OpenAI's multiple broken commitments are driving mounting losses and may cast uncertainty over its planned initial public offering (IPO). These pressures align with earlier caution from HSBC analysts, who in November 2025 said profitability was unlikely before 2030 and flagged a potential $207 billion funding gap. Adding to investor concern, by early 2026, most of OpenAI's senior safety leadership had exited or lost influence, leaving the company to navigate a critical legal and financial phase with reduced oversight. ## **What is the Best AI Stock Buy?** According to TipRanks Stocks Comparison Center, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Meta (META), Nvidia (NVDA), and Micron (MU) are some of the top AI tech stocks that carry a "Strong Buy" consensus. OpenAI, however, remains privately held, meaning its shares are not available to public investors. ### Related Stocks - [MSFT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFT.US.md) - [AMZN.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AMZN.US.md) - [AMZU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AMZU.US.md) - [IGV.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IGV.US.md) - [XSW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XSW.US.md) - [MSFX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFX.US.md) - [MSFO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFO.US.md) - [AMZW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AMZW.US.md) - [AMZZ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AMZZ.US.md) - [MSFU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFU.US.md) - [MSFD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFD.US.md) - [AMZD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AMZD.US.md) - [MSFL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFL.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Defies Leaked Memo Claiming It Limited OpenAI's Enterprise Ambitions](https://longbridge.com/en/news/282556290.md) - [OpenAI pulls back from Stargate Norway data center deal as Microsoft takes over](https://longbridge.com/en/news/282845508.md) - [OpenAI Says Microsoft 'Limited' Its Reach, Slams Anthropic For 'Inflated $30B Revenue](https://longbridge.com/en/news/282579791.md) - ["Demand Has Been Frankly Staggering": OpenAI Highlights Amazon (AMZN) Deal as Growth Driver](https://longbridge.com/en/news/282558720.md) - [Focused Investors LLC Boosts Microsoft Stake by 172,800 Shares](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283208763.md)