Elon Musk's Lawyers Say He Doesn't 'Use A Computer,' But The Tesla CEO Has Touted An 'Ancient PC Laptop' With A Dogecoin Sticker More Than Once

Elon Musk’s lawyers told a federal judge the tech billionaire "does not use a computer," an assertion meant to limit discovery in his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI and one that instantly collided with Musk's own social-media posts flaunting a well-used laptop.

What Happened: OpenAI last week accused Musk and his AI startup xAI of dragging their feet on document production. As reported first by Wired, Musk's attorneys replied Sunday that they had searched his email and cellphone and "Mr. Musk does not use a computer," insisting no additional files exist.

The claim surprised observers. Employees at X, formerly Twitter, say they have seen the owner type on a notebook, and Musk himself posted a photo in December, captioned, "This is a pic of my laptop," praising a Doge sticker he refuses to lose by upgrading.

In May he reiterated, "Still using my ancient PC laptop," when asked about his gaming rig.

See also: Tesla Launches Robotaxi In Austin: Elon Musk Calls It A ‘Culmination Of A Decade Of Hard Work’

The filing is the latest volley in a widening legal battle. Musk sued OpenAI in February, alleging the once-non-profit lab now chases "corporate profit rather than the benefit of humanity." OpenAI countersued in April, calling his takeover bid a "sham" and accusing him of "bad-faith tactics designed to seize control."

Why It Matters: Musk, who left the federal Department of Government Efficiency last month, wants to halt OpenAI's planned $40 billion fundraising by blocking its conversion to a fully for-profit structure. OpenAI argues his suit is harassment aimed at slowing its research pace.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman told the inaugural OpenAI Podcast last week that he "didn't think Elon was going to abuse his power in the government to unfairly compete." Altman claims Musk lobbied regulators to block OpenAI's $500 billion Stargate data-center project unless it folded in his own startup, xAI. Altman added, "I regret to say I was wrong about that … I'm grateful the administration did the right thing and stood up to his behaviour."

Within hours, Musk fired back on X, writing, "Scam Altman strikes again."

Photo Courtesy: Frederic Legrand – COMEO On Shutterstock.com

Read next: Elon Musk’s Mother Recalls Borrowing First Tesla Roadster In 2008—Now Celebrates Robotaxi Launch With Joyride In Driverless Car: ‘No One Knew What It Was’