Musk Loses in Court—Where Does OpenAI Go From Here?

Plus: The Best Casual—Yet Chic—Looks From Cannes

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS After roughly two hours of deliberation on Monday, the jury in the Elon Musk-Sam Altman trial agreed unanimously to reject Musk’s lawsuit against Altman and OpenAI, finding that both of his charges, for breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment, violated the statute of limitations. Tom Dotan, who has been in the courtroom throughout the trial that has gripped Silicon Valley for the last three weeks, suspected Musk would lose. Still, Dotan writes in his latest dispatch that despite the arguments made by Altman’s lawyers, it’s now clear that “the OpenAI nonprofit is little more than the most well-funded fig leaf of all time covering up an $852 billion enterprise.” Elsewhere, Dan Adler talked to an insider for Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign who suggests Joe Rogan might be the real reason Harris never appeared on his podcast. And VF Italia’s Laura Scafati notes how chic the stars in Cannes look even when they’re not on the red carpet. CAITLIN DICKSON, SENIOR EDITOR Why this ad? Elon Musk Loses to Sam Altman BY TOM DOTAN The biggest question about OpenAI going forward is about what, exactly, this company is—and how much the public will care if it continues to operate as a Potemkin charity? READ MORE Get more as a Vanity Fair subscriber Exclusive offer: Subscribe to get one month of Vanity Fair free START YOUR FREE TRIAL Culture Watch POLITICS Why Kamala Harris Never Went on Joe Rogan’s Podcast BY DAN ADLER Donald Trump’s interview with Joe Rogan has been cited as one of the reasons for his 2024 election success. Rob Flaherty, the head of digital for the Kamala Harris campaign, tells Vanity Fair that Harris had every intention of appearing on the wildly popular podcast—so why didn’t she? READ MORE FASHION Chic C’est La Vie in Cannes BY LAURA SCAFATI Along the Croisette, celebrities look just as cool in their airport-to-hotel looks as they do on the red carpet. READ MORE From the Archive Splendor in the Crass BY DAVID KAMP For the August 1996 issue, photographer Helmut Newton turned his camera on the glamour and decadence of Cannes, while David Kamp eyed the tacky, gaudy brew of starlets, art-house talent, and floating brothels. READ MORE Why this ad? In Case You Missed It Dining With The White Lotus Cast in Cannes On Saturday night, directors joined actors, business moguls, and the cast of the forthcoming season of The White Lotus for Vanity Fair’s dinner, co-hosted by Meta. Chris Smith Details His Interview With Lane Kiffin In a recent profile, the controversial head coach told Vanity Fair that he’d had trouble recruiting players to the University of Mississippi, which he left for Louisiana State University last year, due to the school’s thorny racial history. Kate Middleton Took Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring on a Pasta Tour On her recent trip to Italy, the Princess of Wales showed a very regal trick for keeping her heirlooms clean while making pasta at a farm in Felino. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2026. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.