Musk tried to team up with Zuckerberg to buy OpenAI says company

Musk wanted Zuckerberg on his side

Elon Musk shocked many when he tried to bring Mark Zuckerberg into his nearly 100 billion dollar offer for OpenAI. The move came as a surprise since both men have often been seen as rivals in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence.

According to recent court filings, Musk reached out to Meta’s chief about possible financial support. The filing made it clear that Zuckerberg never signed on to Musk’s letter of intent.

Still, the outreach shows how unusual alliances are forming as tech giants battle for control of the future of AI.

A courtroom showdown unfolds

The fight over OpenAI has moved from boardrooms to courtrooms. Musk has sued the company, while OpenAI has fired back with countersuits, accusing him of running campaigns meant to damage its reputation.

One federal judge recently ruled that Musk must face certain claims, including accusations that his bid was a sham designed to harm OpenAI. A jury trial has already been scheduled for 2026.

The legal battle promises to be long and complex, drawing widespread attention because of its impact on how artificial intelligence companies may be governed in the years ahead.

The nonprofit roots in question

When OpenAI was founded in 2015, its mission was framed as a nonprofit, dedicated to developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. Musk was one of the original cofounders, alongside Sam Altman and others.

The dispute today largely centers on whether the company has strayed from those original goals. Musk argues that transforming into a capped profit model undermines what was promised at the beginning.

OpenAI leaders counter that Musk himself once pushed for a for-profit structure and even sought to lead it. This clash of memories and motives fuels today’s courtroom battles.

Meta enters the spotlight

OpenAI’s recent court filings ask Meta to turn over documents that could show any communication with Musk or his AI startup xAI. The request highlights how other tech giants are being pulled into this legal storm.

Meta filed a legal objection, arguing that the subpoena should be directed at Musk, not them. Meta insists its own internal discussions are not relevant.

This tug of war over records demonstrates how much is at stake and how Big Tech companies are watching every move in this rapidly changing contest for artificial intelligence dominance.

A billionaire rivalry runs deep

Musk and Zuckerberg have clashed before in public, sometimes in unusual ways. In 2023, when Meta prepared to launch Threads as a competitor to Twitter, Musk joked about settling their differences in a cage fight.

Zuckerberg’s playful reply to “send me location” set off a series of online jabs between the two billionaires. The fight never happened, but the spectacle showed how personal the rivalry can feel.

Against this backdrop, Musk’s attempt to team up with Zuckerberg for the OpenAI bid was even more surprising to many industry watchers.

A bold 97.4 billion dollar bid✨

Earlier this year, Musk and a group of investors put together an unsolicited bid valued at $97.4 billion. The goal was to take over the nonprofit holding company that controls OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

Despite the staggering amount, the offer was quickly rejected. OpenAI’s leadership responded with humor, even mocking Musk’s social platform by suggesting they would buy Twitter for 9.74 billion dollars instead.

The rejection fueled more tension in the ongoing feud, leaving many to wonder what motivated Musk to spend so much on an organization he once helped create.

OpenAI hires face new pressures

In recent months, OpenAI employees have described intense workloads as the company fights to keep its lead in artificial intelligence. Some engineers reported working more than eighty hours a week to deliver updates and improvements.

The pressure has grown so high that the company gave staff a full week off to recover earlier this year. Burnout in the ranks adds another layer to the challenges OpenAI is facing, beyond legal battles and market competition.

It highlights the human cost of racing ahead in the development of advanced AI systems.

Meta launches talent war

Over the summer, Meta has been making headlines by offering enormous pay packages to attract leading AI researchers. Reports suggest offers of up to $100 million for top talent from well-known research labs.

This aggressive hiring campaign has already landed some big names. Among those who joined are former GitHub chief Nat Friedman, former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, and several experienced OpenAI researchers.

The race to hire the brightest minds shows just how fierce the fight has become to dominate the future of artificial intelligence.

Musk calls out OpenAI leaders

The fight has also been deeply personal. Musk has taken to social media to criticize OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, even calling him “Scam Altman” earlier this year. His words reflect how bitter the relationship has become.

Altman, for his part, has not held back either. After Musk’s bid was rejected, Altman teased him online by suggesting OpenAI could buy Twitter instead.

These sharp exchanges show that the conflict is not only about money or control but also about bruised egos and very public grudges between powerful tech figures.

Apple dragged into the feud

The clash has also spread into unexpected places. Recently, Musk accused Apple of giving preferential treatment to ChatGPT in its App Store rankings. He even threatened to sue Apple over what he described as unfair practices.

This added yet another layer to the unfolding drama. Apple declined to respond publicly, but Musk’s threat created a storm of discussion online.

It underscored how interconnected these tech giants are and how competition in artificial intelligence can spill over into completely different markets, affecting platforms that billions of people use daily.

Musk’s history with OpenAI

Back in 2018, Musk left OpenAI’s board. He cited disagreements about the company’s direction as it considered working closely with Microsoft and moving toward a for-profit model.

That departure marked the beginning of a deeper divide. After leaving, Musk went on to create his own artificial intelligence company, xAI.

Since then, xAI has been positioned as a direct rival to OpenAI, releasing new models and drawing attention from researchers and investors alike. This split is at the root of the long-running conflict that has now boiled over into court.

The richest man and his fortune

Musk’s financial position gives him room to make bold moves. With an estimated net worth of more than $363 billion, he remains the world’s richest individual.

That wealth allows him to launch massive bids like the one for OpenAI. By comparison, Zuckerberg also ranks among the wealthiest, holding more than 250 billion dollars.

Together, their fortunes represent enormous influence in shaping the direction of artificial intelligence. When the two are mentioned in the same filing, the stakes of their rivalry become clear not only in technology but also in global finance.

OpenAI valued at 300 billion

Earlier this year, OpenAI reached a valuation of 300 billion dollars after securing 40 billion dollars in fresh funding. The investment marked the largest private tech deal ever recorded, cementing its place as the most valuable startup in the world.

At the same time, the company’s ChatGPT was attracting around 500 million weekly users, far surpassing any competing chatbot.

This combination of record valuation and massive user base placed OpenAI at the center of attention, making it both admired and targeted by rivals eager to claim a piece of the artificial intelligence future.

Musk argues for open source

Through his attorney, Musk has argued that OpenAI should return to its roots of being an open source project focused on safety. He claims the transition to a profit-based structure goes against the promises made when the organization was founded.

In public statements, his legal team said that if OpenAI’s leadership insists on pursuing profits, the nonprofit should be compensated fairly.

These arguments show Musk’s ongoing attempt to shape the debate over how artificial intelligence should be developed, regulated, and shared with the broader public for the benefit of all.

A jury trial is on the way

With countersuits already filed and subpoenas flying, the legal journey is set to last for years. The next major step will be a jury trial, currently scheduled for the spring of 2026 in California.

That trial is expected to cover not only Musk’s lawsuits but also OpenAI’s claims that his actions harmed the company.

A public trial involving the world’s richest man, one of the most valuable startups, and heated questions about technology’s future promises to capture attention far beyond the usual tech audience.

If you’re following the battle over digital speech, don’t miss Musk’s X takes legal action against New York’s online hate speech rules.

The uncertain road ahead

For all the drama, one fact remains clear. The fight between Musk, OpenAI, and other tech giants is shaping the way artificial intelligence will develop for years to come.

From billion-dollar bids to public insults, the struggle shows no sign of slowing down. The outcome could determine not just who controls the most advanced chatbots but also how safe, open, and accessible the technology will be.

Want to see how the two stack up in real use? Check out which AI wins? ChatGPT vs Grok challenge.

Do you think Musk’s fight with OpenAI will reshape the future of AI or simply add more chaos to the industry? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.