Elon Musk’s $97B OpenAI Gambit: Teaming Up With Rival Zuckerberg in Shocking Bid

Tech titans clash—then cash out together in historic AI power play.

The Unlikely Alliance

Musk extends olive branch to longtime rival Zuckerberg, proposing joint $97 billion takeover of OpenAI. The move would combine forces from Tesla's AI ambitions with Meta's vast data infrastructure—creating an artificial intelligence juggernaut that could dominate the sector.

High-Stakes Poker

Both billionaires already poured billions into AI ventures separately. This bid represents a strategic pivot from competition to consolidation—because when the prize is AI supremacy, even arch-rivals become temporary allies. The market's watching whether this partnership lasts longer than a crypto influencer's credibility.

Industry Shockwaves

The proposed collaboration signals Silicon Valley's escalating arms race for AI dominance. With $97 billion on the table, this isn't just another tech deal—it's a tectonic shift in how tech giants approach artificial intelligence development. One thing's certain: when elephants dance, the grass gets trampled.

Meta rejects OpenAI requests for Meta documents

In the Thursday filing, OpenAI asked the judge to order Meta to produce documents tied to any communications the company had with Musk. Meta urged the court to reject the request, saying, “Meta’s documents can hold no evidence of ‘coordination’ with Musk, or of Meta’s purported attempt to purchase OpenAI, or of any other relevant information when Meta did not join Musk’s bid.”

The company added, “Meta’s communications (if any) with entities that did join the bid also hold little to no relevance, and in any event, should be sought from those entities, not Meta, which did not participate.”

The filing follows a broader standoff over the Tesla founder’s unsolicited approach.

Last year, OpenAI outlined plans to create a public benefit corporation to “raise more capital than we’d imagined” and ease limits imposed by the current nonprofit parent.

After the consortium’s offer became public, Altman replied with a “no thank you” on X in February. Musk responded, “swindler.” The following day, Altman told news outlets that OpenAI was not for sale.

Musk’s lawyers said in a court filing that the consortium, which includes xAI, WOULD withdraw its offer for OpenAI’s nonprofit arm if the nonprofit abandoned plans to convert to a for-profit entity.

OpenAI rejected Musk’s bid after terms were changed in court filing

Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, responded that OpenAI is putting control of the for-profit enterprise up for sale and said the MOVE will “enrich its certain board members rather than the charity.”

In a letter dated February 14, the OpenAI board said the filing changed the terms. “Two days ago, you filed a pleading in court adding new material conditions to the proposal. As a result of that filing, it is now apparent that your clients’ much publicized ‘bid’ is in fact not a bid at all,” according to William Savitt, a lawyer for OpenAI, in a letter to Toberoff.

Other members of the group include Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital and Hollywood executive Ari Emanuel.

As Cryptopolitan reported, OpenAI said it rejected a $97.4 billion offer from a Musk-led group and said any future bids wouldn’t be genuine. The company said the bid was the billionaire’s latest attempt to block its move to a for-profit model and its effort to raise money to compete in AI.

“OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr. Musk’s latest attempt to disrupt his competition. Any potential reorganization of OpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity,” the company said on X, quoting OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor on behalf of the board.

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