According to a court filing by OpenAI on Thursday, Elon Musk attempted to enlist rival Mark Zuckerberg to join his consortium’s bid to acquire the AI research lab earlier this year. The filing states that Musk communicated with the Meta Platforms CEO about potential financing arrangements or investments connected to his $97.4 billion offer for OpenAI. This revelation emerged from sworn interrogations where Musk disclosed these communications, highlighting an unlikely potential partnership between two of the tech industry’s most prominent competitors.
OpenAI has requested a federal judge to order Meta to produce documents and communications related to any bid for the company. The filing argues that Meta’s internal discussions and communications with Musk or other bidders would “shed light on the motivations for the bid,” noting that both Musk’s xAI and Meta are among its most significant competitors. In response, Meta argued that OpenAI should seek these documents directly from Musk and asked the judge to deny the motion, calling the request for its own communications irrelevant to the case.
This development is the latest in an ongoing legal battle between Musk and OpenAI. Earlier this month, a U.S. District Judge ruled that Musk must face OpenAI’s claims that he attempted to harm the startup through a “sham bid” and a public campaign. The conflict began when Musk sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman last year over the company’s shift to a for-profit model, which led to OpenAI filing a counter-suit against Musk in April.
The case, which is scheduled for a jury trial in the spring of 2026, underscores the intense rivalries and high-stakes maneuvering in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector. The allegation that Musk sought help from a direct competitor for a major acquisition bid adds a new layer of complexity to the dispute, revealing the interconnected and often contentious relationships between the leading figures and companies in AI.
