OpenAI Subpoenas Meta in Musk Lawsuit Amid $97 Billion AI Deal Speculation

Quick Highlights

• OpenAI subpoenas Meta over Elon Musk’s $97B ChatGPT acquisition bid
• Meta denies any discussions or agreements with Musk or xAI
• Lawsuit highlights growing rivalry in AI between OpenAI and Meta

What’s Behind OpenAI’s Surprising Accusation Against Meta?

OpenAI has subpoenaed Meta as part of Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit over a potential $97 billion deal to acquire the ChatGPT developer.

According to OpenAI (and Sam Altman), Meta, or even CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally may have had backchannel communications with Elon Musk and his AI startup xAI about acquiring or investing in OpenAI.

The subpoena aims to uncover documents or messages showing any involvement, direct or indirect, from Meta in the transaction. This comes after Musk allegedly promoted the deal publicly in February 2025.

A $97B Power Play, Legal Tensions, and the Future of AI

OpenAI’s legal team revealed they first requested documents from Meta in June 2025, but it remains unclear whether any evidence has been submitted. The defense argues Musk discussed xAI’s offer directly with Zuckerberg, including possible financial terms.

Meta has officially denied involvement, stating it neither took part in such communications nor signed any letter of intent regarding a deal with Musk or xAI.

This legal wrangling is closely tied to OpenAI’s transformation from a for-profit to a public corporation, a change Musk says goes against its original mission.

Behind the Scenes: Why Meta Is Still a Key Player in This AI War

OpenAI is now requesting broader documentation, including anything related to restructuring, recapitalization, or strategic changes at Meta. The court battle is as much about corporate control of AI as it is about transparency and competition.

Meta previously pushed back, arguing its internal talks were irrelevant and that Musk and xAI could supply the needed details themselves.

Meanwhile, analysts point to Meta’s aggressive push into AI—developing its own models and allegedly recruiting OpenAI engineers, including some who worked on ChatGPT—as proof of a deeper rivalry forming between tech giants.