Claims have been made in a recent Sunday legal submission that Elon Musk, tech magnate and AI entrepreneur, shuns computer use entirely. These statements were made in connection to his legal crusade against OpenAI and Sam Altman, amidst allegations of contractual breach. Doubts, however, have been cast on the credibility of these reports, given the billionaire’s interactions with computers, both in personal and professional capacities, in the recent past.
The complaint lodged by Musk and his brainchild, a technological firm named xAI, against OpenAI dates back to February 2024. It posits that OpenAI shirked its foundational pledge – the progressive development of AI intended to serve humanity – in favor of enhancing Microsoft’s financial activities. This assertion emerged in response to a negation from OpenAI, issued on the preceding Friday.
The conflict heated up when OpenAI questioned the commitment of Musk and xAI towards adhering to the discovery mechanism, which is an essential component of the legal process. OpenAI proposed that Musk’s legal representatives seem to have no intention of securing any documentary proof from Musk’s end.
In the legal document submitted on the weekend following the statement made by OpenAI, Musk’s counsel was quoted as having communicated to OpenAI on June 14 that they were currently in the process of scouring through Mr. Musk’s emails and mobile phone content. Added to this was the assertion that Musk refrains from using computers. This counters the belief that they were intentionally opposing the discovery process.
Despite the claims, Musk is predominately known to be a mobile phone user, but there have been instances where he has been sighted with a laptop. One such instance occurred in December 2024, where Musk crafted a tweet featuring an image of a laptop and a caption that read, ‘This is a pic of my laptop.’
The aforementioned post was captured when replying to a game stream from the renowned ‘Diablo’ video game series. His caption suggested that he was conducting a functionality test for Starlink’s capacity to stream in-flight, thereby implying a potential professional usage of the machine.
From August 2024 onward, Musk has involved himself in more than 10 game streaming sessions, showcasing what appears to be the desktop configuration of varied games. In general, Musk claims that these gaming sessions are intended to stress test Starlink’s capacity to handle streaming data.
In an interesting development in May 2025, Musk disclosed his use of a vintage laptop for gaming practices. He displayed an Aero model laptop adorned with an emblem of a dollar note, which was modified as a tribute to ‘Doge’, the famous memecoin.
Previously, on February 25, 2024, Musk stated that he had purchased a fresh PC laptop. Nevertheless, he lamented the fact that its usage was conditional to the creation of a Microsoft account- a step he was reluctant to take, strongly suspecting that it might give Microsoft’s AI access to his computer. Reasserting his skepticism, he expressed identical sentiments the following day.
In 2022, Musk assumed control over Twitter for a short period in November where he uploaded an image of a computer screen exhibiting Mastodon’s user interface. Mastodon is often identified as a competitor to popular social networks. The post was, however, taken down by Musk at a later stage.
When asked about his choice of computer hardware back in July 2021, Musk revealed his preference for a PC desktop model equipped with the most up-to-date graphics card. He also disclosed his possession of a Mac and a Gigabyte laptop.
Digs into Musk’s professional schedule reveal that the tech pioneer operates from his office located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building situated in Washington. Observations from a video stream of the All-In Podcast, broadcasted in March, exhibit the presence of a gaming PC subtly captured in the background.
In summary, the accounts above make it clear that the prominent tech figure’s interaction with computers has been prevalent. These claims, documented across various platforms, have sparked skepticism over the assertion made by Musk’s lawyers on his non-usage of computers.
The unfolding debate on whether Musk uses a computer or not might seem trivial in isolation. However, the implications could turn out to be significant, considering it features in the context of a complex legal case involving him and the AI company OpenAI.
It remains to be seen whether these revelations will have any impact on the court’s perspective on the ongoing legal proceedings. For now, we have grounds to question whether Musk actually refrains from using computers, as professed by his attorneys.