The House Oversight Committee, chaired by James Comer, sent a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman requesting information on potential conflicts of interest between Altman’s personal investments and OpenAI’s operations.

In the related lawsuit, Elon Musk seeks $150 billion in damages, calls for Altman’s removal and for OpenAI to revert to non-profit status, and accuses Altman of self-dealing through deals with companies where he held personal stakes, including Helion.

OpenAI began as a non-profit, created a for-profit subsidiary in 2019, and released ChatGPT in 2022, which significantly accelerated AI adoption; Elon Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018 and later formed xAI, which was folded into SpaceX.

The Oversight letter cites reporting that a Helion deal could have been highly valuable to Altman’s stake and notes Altman’s prior temporary removal from leadership in 2023 over conflict concerns, followed by reinstatement.

The letter comes amid a broader dispute between Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI and allege that Altman and Greg Brockman betrayed the nonprofit mission to pursue profit, including a potential public offering.

Comer’s inquiry targets conflicts involving nonprofit capital invested in startups and other for-profit ventures, and demands a briefing by May 22 from the OpenAI official who oversees conflicts, along with all related conflict-of-interest policies.

Comer also requests access to OpenAI’s audit committee documents, including audit materials on Altman’s conflicts and all relevant communications and policies.