Elon Musk flies to Hawthorne the day after losing OpenAI trial

Elon Musk flew from a Texas ranch airstrip to Hawthorne, California on May 19, landing at Jack Northrop Field just after 11:41 a.m. local time. The Gulfstream G650ER, tail N628TS, made the 2-hour 29-minute trip from Yancey Creek Ranch North Airport, a private strip near his Starbase home.

The trip comes the same week a federal jury in Oakland ruled against Musk in his $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, finding he waited too long to file his claims. Musk called the verdict a “calendar technicality” on X and vowed to appeal, per a CNBC report on May 18. The trial, which stretched three weeks, saw Musk testify about the company’s founding mission; closing arguments concluded May 14.

Musk’s fleet logged heavy cross-country mileage in 2025–26, with frequent hops between Texas and California for SpaceX and Tesla business. This landing at Hawthorne, adjacent to SpaceX headquarters, suggests a return to operations after the losing verdict. The judge did not restrict Musk’s travel, though he had been on recall status during the trial earlier this month.