Musk Pitched Zuckerberg on Unsolicited OpenAI Bid, Documents Show

Newly unsealed court filings reveal communication between the tech titans over a potential joint acquisition of OpenAI's intellectual property.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 2:35am

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According to newly released court documents, Elon Musk reached out to Mark Zuckerberg in February 2025 to gauge his interest in jointly bidding for the intellectual property of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The documents provide a glimpse into the ongoing tensions between Musk and OpenAI, as well as the complex relationship between the Tesla CEO and the Meta founder.

Why it matters

This story sheds light on the high-stakes battle for control over the lucrative and influential AI technology landscape. Musk's unsolicited bid for OpenAI's IP and his subsequent lawsuit against the company and its CEO, Sam Altman, underscore the intense competition and power dynamics at play in the AI industry.

The details

The newly unredacted court documents show that on February 3, 2025, Zuckerberg texted Musk to say his 'teams' would be 'on alert to take down content doxxing or threatening' people working with Musk at DOGE, a White House office Musk was leading. Less than 30 minutes later, Musk asked Zuckerberg if he was 'open to the idea of bidding on the OpenAI IP' with Musk and others. Zuckerberg responded that he wanted to 'discuss live,' but it's unclear if the planned call took place. In August 2024, Musk sued Altman and the OpenAI board, alleging he was deceived into investing in the organization.

  • On February 3, 2025, Zuckerberg texted Musk at 10:04 PM PT.
  • Less than 30 minutes later, Musk asked Zuckerberg about bidding on OpenAI's IP.
  • In August 2024, Musk sued Altman and the OpenAI board.
  • On February 10, 2025, Musk's consortium submitted a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI.
  • OpenAI officially completed its conversion to a for-profit company in October 2025.

The players

Elon Musk

The CEO of Tesla who is suing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging he was deceived into investing in the organization.

Mark Zuckerberg

The CEO of Meta (Facebook) who communicated with Musk about a potential joint bid for OpenAI's intellectual property.

Sam Altman

The CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, who is being sued by Musk.

Marc Toberoff

Musk's attorney who submitted the $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI.

OpenAI

The artificial intelligence research company that developed the popular ChatGPT technology and is being targeted by Musk.

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What they’re saying

“Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.”

— Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta

“Are you open to the idea of bidding on the OpenAI IP with me and some others?”

— Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla

“Want to discuss live?”

— Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta

“no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”

— Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI

What’s next

Musk's lawsuit against Altman and OpenAI will begin jury selection on April 27 in Oakland, California.

The takeaway

This story highlights the intense competition and power struggles within the AI industry, as tech titans like Musk and Zuckerberg vie for control over influential AI technologies like ChatGPT. The legal battle between Musk and OpenAI underscores the high stakes and complex dynamics at play in this rapidly evolving landscape.