Elon Musk approached Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year to join his $100bn takeover bid for OpenAI, court filings reveal
SAN FRANCISCO
Elon Musk reportedly approached Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year to join his nearly $100bn bid for OpenAI, according to a recent court filing. Musk confirmed during legal questioning that he had spoken to the Meta CEO in February about financing a $97.4bn takeover of the ChatGPT maker. However, Zuckerberg and Meta never signed a letter of intent.
Such a collaboration would have been surprising given their history. In 2023, Musk and Zuckerberg publicly mocked each other online and even discussed a cage fight after Meta launched Threads as a rival to Musk’s X platform. Despite their rivalry, both tech leaders remain deeply engaged in the race to secure top artificial intelligence talent.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI before leaving its board in 2018, launched his own AI venture, xAI, in 2023. His bid to acquire OpenAI, backed by investors like Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital, and Vy Capital, was quickly rejected. Insiders dismissed the attempt as a publicity move.
Musk has long criticized OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model, claiming it strayed from its original mission. His lawsuit against the company is ongoing, and the latest filing asked the court to compel Meta to release records of its conversations with Musk.
Meanwhile, Meta has been heavily investing in its own AI push, offering lucrative pay packages—sometimes exceeding $ 100 million—to lure researchers from OpenAI and other rivals. In response, Meta urged the court to deny OpenAI’s request, insisting it had no role in Musk’s failed bid.
The episode highlights the fierce competition among Musk, Zuckerberg, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman to dominate the AI landscape.
