Aug 22 (Reuters) - Elon Musk tried to enlist rival Mark

Zuckerberg for the $97.4 billion bid that his consortium made

for OpenAI earlier this year, but the CEO of Meta Platforms ( META )

did not come on board, OpenAI said in a court filing on

Thursday.

OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, said Musk had communicated

with Zuckerberg about potential financing arrangements or

investments in connection with his OpenAI bid, according to the

court filing.

OpenAI said Musk had disclosed his communications with

Zuckerberg about the company during sworn interrogations.

Musk, whose xAI competes with OpenAI, could not immediately

be reached for comment. xAI did not respond to a request for

comment outside regular business hours.

OpenAI requested a federal judge to order Meta to produce

documents and communications related to any bid for OpenAI, and

those "concerning any actual or potential restructuring or

recapitalization of OpenAI."

"Meta's communications with other bidders, or internal

communications, including those reflecting discussions with Musk

or other bidders, would also shed light on the motivations for

the bid," OpenAI said, calling Musk and Meta two of its most

significant competitors.

Meta, in the same court filing, said OpenAI should seek any

relevant documents directly from Musk and his AI startup, and

asked the judge to deny OpenAI's motion.

"Meta's own communications concerning OpenAI's restructuring

or recapitalization (even as narrowed) are not relevant to this

action," Meta added in the court filing.

Earlier in August, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez

Rogers ruled that Musk must face OpenAI's claims that the

billionaire, through press statements, social media posts, legal

claims and "a sham bid for OpenAI's assets," attempted to harm

the AI startup.

Tesla boss Musk sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman last year

over the company's transition to a for-profit model, after which

OpenAI counter-sued Musk in April this year.

A jury trial has been scheduled for spring 2026.