Elon Musk flies into Silicon Valley as OpenAI trial heats up

Elon Musk flew from Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport to Moffett Federal Airfield on May 8, 2026, covering the 300-mile distance in just 51 minutes aboard his Gulfstream G550, N272BG. The quick jaunt from Southern California to the heart of Silicon Valley underscores Musk's frequent West Coast shuttles, even as his primary base remains in Austin.

The timing aligns with the second week of Musk's closely watched lawsuit against OpenAI, unfolding at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Courthouse in nearby Oakland. As covered by Fortune on May 5, the trial has featured dramatic testimony, including from OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who described Musk's early involvement and subsequent departure from the company. Musk himself took the stand for four days, per KQED reports, amid accusations that OpenAI strayed from its nonprofit roots.

This Bay Area visit fits a pattern of Musk's recurring trips to KSJC and surrounding airports, often tied to Tesla's Fremont operations or xAI initiatives. Recent flights show him bouncing between the Pacific Northwest—home to xAI's data centers—and California, with multiple legs to the region in the past week alone, suggesting the trial demands his presence amid broader AI rivalries.