Elon Musk’s ongoing legal battle with OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, has taken a curious turn, centered around a seemingly simple question: Does Musk use a laptop?
According to Wired, Musk’s legal team claimed in a recent court filing that the billionaire entrepreneur “does not use a laptop,” a statement that has raised eyebrows given Musk’s own repeated social media posts suggesting otherwise.
The claim was made Sunday as part of Musk’s efforts to fend off discovery demands in the lawsuit he filed against OpenAI earlier this year. Despite the legal filing, Musk has made several public references to his laptop usage over the past year. In December, Musk posted a photo of his laptop on X, the social media platform he owns, writing, “This is a pic of my laptop.”
In the post, he explained his reluctance to upgrade because he would lose a “cool sticker” obtained in Germany. Earlier this year, Musk also complained on X about a new laptop requiring a Microsoft account to sign in. “There used to be an option to skip signing into or creating a Microsoft account. Are you seeing this too?” he asked followers.
More recently, Musk wrote, “Still using my ancient PC laptop with the @DOGE sticker made long ago by a fan,” indicating continued use of the device. These posts appear to directly contradict his legal team’s assertion. So why would Musk want to downplay or deny using a laptop?
According to Wired, the denial may be a legal strategy aimed at limiting exposure during the discovery process in the lawsuit. If Musk were to admit to using a laptop, it could open the door to subpoenas or requests for digital evidence, including emails, documents, or communications stored on the device—information that could be sensitive or potentially damaging to him or his businesses.
Musk’s attorneys, however, deny that their client is attempting to dodge legal scrutiny. They argue that Musk’s statements about his laptop are being misinterpreted and do not indicate a refusal to comply with the court’s discovery process. Still, the inconsistency has drawn widespread attention and speculation, especially given Musk’s public persona and his outspoken nature online.
As the legal battle continues, the question of whether the world’s richest man uses a laptop has become more than a tech curiosity—it now stands at the center of a high-stakes legal dispute over AI, corporate control, and digital transparency.