Hajra Naz
The relationship between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has had its ups and downs—at one point, Musk even challenged Zuckerberg to a cage fight. But by the early days of the second Trump administration, things appeared to have cooled off, at least according to court documents made public on Friday.
Engadget reports that these texts were released as part of Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI. The exchange took place on February 3, 2025, around the same time Zuckerberg appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, where he criticized corporate America as being “emasculated.”
In one text, Zuckerberg referenced Musk’s government initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), writing:
“Looks like DOGE is making progress. I’ve got our teams on alert to take down content doxxing or threatening the people on your team. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help.”
Musk responded with a heart emoji and followed up with a surprising proposal:
“Are you open to the idea of bidding on OpenAI with me and some others?”
Zuckerberg suggested taking the discussion over the phone, though documents released previously show that he ultimately never joined Musk’s bid.
This exchange highlights the evolving—and sometimes unexpected—dynamics between two of tech’s most high-profile leaders, showing that even former rivals can find moments of collaboration when shared interests align.
