Elon Musk flies from China to Los Angeles as OpenAI trial closes

Elon Musk flew from Weihai, China, to Los Angeles on Thursday, May 14, aboard his Gulfstream G800 (N8628), landing at LAX after a 10-hour, 30-minute flight. The trip ended a week in which Musk accompanied President Donald Trump on Air Force One to Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, per an Associated Press report.

The same week Musk was in China, his lead counsel apologized to a federal jury in Oakland for his absence as closing arguments were made in the Musk-Altman trial, as covered by CNBC. Musk is suing OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, alleging they violated a promise to keep the company a nonprofit. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers had placed Musk on recall status after his testimony in April, meaning he was supposed to be available to return to court on short notice, per NBC News. He was not recalled.

The flight from Weihai to Los Angeles is the latest in a pattern of long-haul political and legal travel for Musk. Earlier this week, one of his Gulfstreams flew from Austin to Seattle, and another from Austin to Denver, before he joined the presidential delegation to China. Musk's primary home base remains Austin-Bergstrom International, but the G800's arrival at LAX suggests a pivot back to West Coast business interests after a contentious week in court.