Musk’s lawyers ask judge to block OpenAI getting Meta records

Lawyers for Elon Musk are seeking to prevent OpenAI from accessing documents from Meta related to Musk’s earlier US$97.4 billion bid for OpenAI’s assets, according to a recent court filing.

OpenAI, which says Musk tried to involve Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in the bid earlier this year, has asked a judge to compel Meta to provide relevant documents and communications.

Meta opposed the request, saying that OpenAI should obtain documents directly from Musk and his AI company, xAI.

Musk’s legal team said OpenAI had already received bid-related documents from Musk and xAI, calling further requests irrelevant at this stage of the case.

OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman argued the requests are specific and cover only a short period, and said oral communications increase the need for depositions.

In August, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Musk must face OpenAI’s claims that he attempted to harm the company through public statements and a bid for its assets.

A jury trial is scheduled for spring 2026.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Tech disputes now involve coordinated multi-front legal warfare

Musk’s battle with OpenAI demonstrates how modern tech conflicts extend far beyond single lawsuits into coordinated legal campaigns across multiple venues.

While fighting OpenAI’s transition from nonprofit to for-profit status in one case, Musk simultaneously launched an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI, alleging they colluded to suppress his Grok chatbot through App Store manipulation2 3.

Now he’s also fighting to prevent OpenAI from obtaining Meta documents related to his acquisition bid, creating a third legal front in the same broader conflict1.

This multi-pronged approach reflects how tech giants increasingly use overlapping legal strategies to pressure competitors, rather than relying on single cases that can take years to resolve.

The complexity is further amplified by the interwoven relationships. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015, departed in 2018, and now both sues the company while trying to block its evidence gathering against him1.