Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg person a analyzable history. In 2023, nan 2 vowed to conflict each different successful a cage lucifer that never happened. But by early 2025, erstwhile some were cozying up to nan newly-elected President Donald Trump, they were apparently connected much friends terms.
In February of that year, Zuckerberg texted Musk approvingly astir his activity pinch nan now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "Looks for illustration DOGE is making progress," nan Meta CEO texted. "I've sewage our teams connected alert to return down contented doxxing aliases threatening nan group connected your team. Let maine cognize if there's thing other I tin do to help."
The texts, which were published Friday successful tribunal documents arsenic portion of Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, are dated February 3, 2025. That's conscionable a fewer weeks aft Zuckerberg announced Meta's pivot away from contented moderation successful favour of "free expression." It's besides nan aforesaid time that a US Attorney said he would protect DOGE labor from "disgruntled" critics.
Musk responded to Zuckerberg's connection pinch a bosom and followed up pinch an unrelated topic: OpenAI. He asked Zuckerberg if he was "open to nan thought of bidding connected nan OpenAI IP pinch maine and immoderate others." Zuckerberg asked to "discuss it live" and Musk said he would telephone nan adjacent day. Previous documents disclosed successful nan lawsuit show that Musk had invited Zuckerberg to thief him bargain OpenAI, though he ne'er officially signed connected to nan bid.
In a abstracted filing besides made nationalist Friday, Musk's lawyers based on that his exchanges pinch nan Meta CEO ought to beryllium excluded from nan lawsuit. "Musk’s individual relationships and communications – including pinch different high-profile individuals – are besides tangential and prejudicial," they wrote. "Defendants included successful their grounds database for trial, for example, respective backstage exchanges betwixt Musk and Mark Zuckerberg discussing Musk’s governmental activity and this lawsuit. Those caller communications person thing to do pinch Musk’s claims and are thing much than Defendants’ effort to stoke antagonistic sentiments toward Musk because of his relation pinch Zuckerberg."
A Meta spokesperson declined to comment.
In nan aforesaid filing, Musk's lawyers besides return rumor pinch Altman's lawyers asking astir Musk's alleged ketamine usage and his attendance astatine Burning Man. A transcript from a video deposition pinch Musk indicated he was asked if had taken "rhino ket" astatine Burning Man successful 2017. Musk said no, according to nan transcript.
"Any accusation that euphony festivals aliases narcotics person immoderate relevance to this lawsuit is outlandish, and really Musk spends his free clip is arsenic irrelevant," his lawyers wrote. A judge ruled earlier this month that OpenAI's lawyers would beryllium permitted to inquire "limited" questions astir Burning Man, but not ketamine.
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