OpenAI moves court to expose Meta-Musk collution in $97bn takeover bid

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) AI company OpenAI has urged a US court to force tech giant Meta into sharing evidence of any coordinated plans with Elon Musk and xAI regarding the acquisition or investment in the ChatGPT-maker.

A brief filed in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI made the request public, according to a report by Techcrunch. The brief showed that OpenAI's lawyers subpoenaed Meta in June for documents concerning its possible role in Musk's $97 billion bid to acquire the startup in February 2025. OpenAI had rejected Musk’s bid then.

OpenAI’s lawyers claimed that Musk communicated with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding xAI’s bid to acquire OpenAI, including discussions on potential financing arrangements or investments.

Meta opposed OpenAI's initial subpoena in July, and OpenAI's lawyers are now seeking a court order to acquire the evidence. If OpenAI obtains any such evidence, it plans to use it while arguing in Musk’s other lawsuit against the company.

Amid OpenAI's conflict with Musk, Meta has made substantial investments in developing advanced AI models. In 2023, Meta executives worked hard to create an AI model to surpass OpenAI’s GPT-4, court filings in a separate case revealed.

By early 2025, Meta's AI models lagged behind industry standards, reportedly angering Zuckerberg. Meta then intensified its efforts to recruit key researchers from OpenAI and succeeded in attracting some employees.

OpenAI confirmed plans to open its first India office in New Delhi later this year, alongside new data highlighting the rapid adoption of its tools in the country.

India has all the ingredients to become a global AI leader--amazing tech talent, a world-class developer ecosystem, and strong government support through the IndiaAI Mission, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said.

Looking ahead, OpenAI will hold its first Education Summit in India this month, followed by its first Developer Day later this year, bringing together the country's vibrant developer, startup, and enterprise communities shaping the future of AI.

–IANS

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