Musk tried to enlist Zuckerberg in OpenAI bid

August 25, 2025

Newly released court filings reveal that back in February, Elon Musk reached out to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, seeking $97.4 billion in financing to acquire OpenAI. Musk’s goal was to gain control of the company, whose valuation has since skyrocketed.

According to the documents, neither Zuckerberg nor Meta agreed to a letter of intent, nor did they participate in Musk’s plan. This episode is part of a broader legal saga: Musk is currently suing OpenAI, seeking to block the company from operating as a for-profit entity, which he claims strays from its original mission.

A federal court in California recently allowed OpenAI to file counterclaims against Musk, further escalating the dispute. Musk’s February offer was swiftly rejected by OpenAI’s board, which dismissed it as a mere “publicity stunt” amid ongoing litigation.

Now, OpenAI has issued a subpoena to Meta requesting all communications with Musk, while Meta has publicly stated: “We never agreed.” The standoff increasingly resembles both a legal thriller and a strategic battle for dominance in the AI industry, with a climax expected by spring 2026.

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