Elon Musk Tried to Rope in Meta CEO for $97 Billion OpenAI Bid

Elon Musk attempted to bring Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg into his unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI earlier this year, according to recent court filings by the AI startup.

The documents reveal that Musk personally identified Zuckerberg as a potential financier for the acquisition of ChatGPT’s parent company. However, OpenAI clarified that neither Zuckerberg nor Meta signed any letters of intent or participated in the bid. The company’s board formally rejected Musk’s offer in February. Requests for comment from Musk and Meta went unanswered, and OpenAI declined to provide additional details beyond the filing.

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI with Sam Altman a decade ago before launching rival AI startup xAI, is currently engaged in a legal battle with the company. He has repeatedly tried to block OpenAI’s restructuring into a more conventional for-profit entity, filing two lawsuits alleging the company has strayed from its original charitable mission.

The revelation that Musk sought Meta’s involvement adds a new wrinkle. Legal analysts say it could complicate his argument that Altman’s partnership with Microsoft violated OpenAI’s founding principles. A presiding judge previously noted that Musk’s efforts to either integrate OpenAI into Tesla or convert it into a for-profit company are “relevant because they may be inconsistent” with his claims against Altman and OpenAI.

In the August 21 filing, OpenAI asked the court to compel Meta to produce documents related to any communications between the tech giant and Musk. Meta has pushed back, arguing that it did not participate in the bid and that any relevant communications should be sought from entities that did.

This disclosure adds another layer to the ongoing drama around OpenAI’s future and Musk’s ambitions. It also highlights the high stakes at play as major tech figures navigate the intersection of innovation, profit, and governance in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.