A lawyer representing Elon Musk in his legal battle against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also works as a clown, according to a report. Jaymie Parkkinen, a lawyer with Toberoff & Associates, has been involved in the dispute over the origins of OpenAI, but in his free time he performs as a clown and runs a ‘Clown Cardio’ business in Los Angeles.
Parkkinen told Business Insider that his comedy friends cannot believe he is a lawyer, and his lawyer friends cannot believe he does clown work. His performances are improvised and do not involve typical clown props like red noses or wigs. ‘When you strip away all the social masks that we all wear... the clown tries to answer that question,’ he said.
Musk co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but left due to disagreements. He later sued, accusing OpenAI and Microsoft of monopolising the generative AI market and straying from the company’s original mission. Altman counters that Musk abandoned OpenAI and has accused Musk of harassment.
Parkkinen has fought diligently in discovery disputes for Musk’s case, but his clown activities have taken a back seat due to the intense litigation schedule. He founded Clown Cardio after realising physical comedy makes for a good workout, and the business has seen requests for franchises across Europe.
Parkkinen believes his clowning helps him as a lawyer, as litigation is also a performance. ‘At the end of the day, it’s just about connecting with people, and so is being a lawyer,’ he said. He suggests other corporate lawyers could benefit from taking an improv class.
