The relationship between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has been marked by tension. Back in 2023, they publicly committed to a cage fight that ultimately fell through. However, come the start of 2025, as both aligned more closely with President-elect Donald Trump, signs pointed to a warmer dynamic between them.
During February 2025, Zuckerberg sent a positive message to Musk regarding his involvement in the short-lived Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In the exchange, the Meta leader noted, 'Looks like DOGE is making progress,' and added, '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.'
These messages surfaced on Friday within legal filings tied to Musk's legal action against Sam Altman and OpenAI, bearing the date of February 3, 2025. This timing followed shortly after Zuckerberg's declaration of Meta shifting from strict content oversight to prioritizing 'free expression.' Coincidentally, it aligned with a U.S. Attorney's statement committing to shield DOGE staff from hostile detractors.
Musk replied to the outreach with a heart emoji before pivoting to a different matter: OpenAI. He inquired whether Zuckerberg might join 'me and some others' in pursuing a bid for OpenAI's intellectual property. Zuckerberg suggested a real-time conversation, and Musk agreed to phone him the following day. Earlier revelations from the proceedings indicate Musk had previously approached Zuckerberg about partnering on an OpenAI acquisition, but the latter did not formally commit.
Another document released that same Friday saw Musk's legal team pushing to bar his interactions with the Meta executive from the proceedings. They contended that 'Musk’s personal relationships and communications – including with other high-profile individuals – are also tangential and prejudicial.' The filing highlighted how the opposing side had listed various confidential talks between Musk and Zuckerberg on topics like Musk's political engagements and the ongoing case, deeming them irrelevant to Musk's allegations and merely an effort to bias opinions against him due to his ties to Zuckerberg.
A representative from Meta offered no response on the matter.
That same submission also challenged queries from Altman's counsel regarding Musk's purported use of ketamine and his participation in Burning Man. Footage from Musk's video deposition captured a question about whether he had used 'rhino ket' at the 2017 event, to which Musk responded negatively.
Musk's attorneys dismissed any suggestion that such festivals or substances bore relevance to the dispute as absurd, stressing that Musk's leisure pursuits held no bearing on the issues at hand. Earlier this month, a judicial decision allowed OpenAI's attorneys to pose narrowly focused inquiries about Burning Man, while prohibiting those on ketamine.