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Elon Musk’s lawyers have stunned the tech world by claiming in a court filing that the billionaire “does not use a computer.” The assertion, made amid Musk’s legal battle with OpenAI, stands in sharp contrast to his own social media posts showing him regularly using laptops and gaming PCs.
According to WIRED, Musk’s legal team argued that discovery should be limited to his mobile phone and email, claiming there was no basis to search additional devices. It’s a legal strategy that raises the stakes in Musk’s intensifying legal clash with OpenAI.
What prompted the no-computer filing
The claim that Musk doesn’t use a computer surfaced in a court document filed during an ongoing dispute over evidence production in his lawsuit against OpenAI. His legal team stated they had reviewed Musk’s phone and email, adding that further searches were unnecessary given his supposed lack of computer use.
While Musk is known for managing operations via mobile, WIRED reports that employees at X have occasionally seen him working on a laptop.
OpenAI, in response, accused xAI’s owner and his legal team of stonewalling the discovery process. The AI company stated that Musk had produced no records — neither from his accounts, his companies, nor any custodians — and submitted no records related to the donations at the center of the dispute.
According to The Telegraph, Musk’s lawyers pushed back, asserting they had “actively assisted” in collecting records from companies like SpaceX and Tesla, while also alleging OpenAI had yet to submit documents tied to CEO Sam Altman’s affiliated funds.
Musk’s legal team did not respond to inquiries but denied, in court filings, that they were resisting discovery. OpenAI, meanwhile, declined to comment publicly and pointed reporters to its official legal submissions.
PC or no PC: that is the question
While Musk’s legal team maintains he doesn’t use a computer, his online activity tells a different story.
In June 2025, he told an X user that he was still using his “ancient PC laptop” decorated with a Dogecoin sticker. A few months prior, he shared a video from inside a game stream, captioned, “Testing Starlink streaming while in flight.”
These are only the latest examples in a longer pattern of computer use; others include livestream setups, device photos, and multiple past posts referencing desktop or laptop activity.
Not just discovery, but dominance
When one of the most influential figures in tech makes claims that contradict their visible public behavior, it raises fundamental questions about transparency.
If the courts allow such assertions to limit discovery, it could set a precedent enabling powerful actors to withhold information while shaping the direction of artificial intelligence without revealing how those decisions are made. In the race for AI dominance, silence is the new weapon.
Read eWeek’s deep dive into xAI’s spending spree, where Musk’s AI venture is reportedly burning $1 billion every month in a bid to outpace rivals.