Elon Musk sought Meta’s support in $97 billion takeover attempt of OpenAI

Elon Musk, chief executive of X and xAI, attempted to join forces with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg in a massive $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, according to newly revealed court filings. The disclosure came as part of the ongoing legal dispute between Musk and OpenAI, shedding light on behind-the-scenes efforts to reshape the artificial intelligence race.

The filings, published on Thursday, state that Musk and his company xAI approached Zuckerberg with a letter of intent, asking him to consider “potential financing arrangements or investments” in the proposed takeover of OpenAI, led by its chief executive Sam Altman. OpenAI, in its filing, confirmed that Zuckerberg and Meta never signed the letter of intent and did not participate in the consortium Musk was attempting to form.

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According to a CNBC report earlier this year, Musk’s outreach was framed as a strategic alliance with Meta aimed at eliminating their shared competitor, OpenAI. Had the partnership materialised, it could have transformed the competitive landscape in AI by consolidating power under Musk and Zuckerberg, effectively neutralising OpenAI as a rival.

Musk has long expressed opposition to Altman and OpenAI’s vision, particularly its shift towards a for-profit structure. Once close allies, Musk and Altman have become adversaries as OpenAI rose to prominence with Microsoft’s backing and billions in investment. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in its early years before departing, launched xAI in 2023 as a direct competitor and has since pursued aggressive legal action against the company.

Earlier this year, Musk filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of breaching its founding mission and contract, while seeking to block its conversion into a profit-driven enterprise. OpenAI has countered these claims, accusing Musk of waging a campaign of “harassment” through litigation, media attacks and what it described as a “sham bid” to harm its business operations.

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As part of its defence, OpenAI has requested the court to subpoena Meta for records of communications between Musk, Zuckerberg and the company, in an effort to substantiate its claim that Musk’s acquisition attempts were not genuine but instead designed to destabilise OpenAI.

The revelation underscores the increasingly bitter rivalry between Musk and Altman, while highlighting how the power struggle in Silicon Valley’s AI sector now involves not only corporate strategies but also courtroom battles and attempted high-stakes manoeuvres.