Zuckerberg offered Musk help with DOGE content moderation

Court documents published on Friday have revealed that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk were in communication regarding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a US government advisory group—and a potential joint business venture. The text messages, which were released as part of Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, show a significant shift in the relationship between the two technology executives. While their public interactions were once characterized by intense rivalry, the newly disclosed records indicate a collaborative turn during the early days of the second Trump administration. The documents provide a rare look into private negotiations and alignment between two of the world’s most prominent technology leaders.

The text messages were exchanged on February 3, 2025. In the messages, Zuckerberg proactively offered Meta’s assistance to Musk regarding content moderation for the DOGE team. Zuckerberg, acting as Meta CEO, wrote: “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 reacted to the offer with a heart emoji and subsequently asked if Zuckerberg would be open to the idea of bidding on OpenAI with him and several others. Although Zuckerberg suggested discussing the proposal over the phone, previously released documents show that he ultimately did not join Musk’s bid for OpenAI. The exchange reveals how quickly the two executives moved from public sparring to discussing high-stakes corporate acquisitions and government-related safety measures.

The timing of the exchange coincided with Zuckerberg’s appearance on a podcast hosted by Joe Rogan. During the episode, Zuckerberg discussed the state of corporate America, which he characterized as emasculated. The alignment of these events highlights a warming relationship between the two tech leaders, who had previously engaged in highly publicized disputes, including Musk challenging Zuckerberg to a cage fight. The texts demonstrate how both executives began finding common ground on regulatory and corporate issues as the political landscape shifted. This shift reflects a broader trend of technology executives seeking alignment with key figures in the new administration.

Why it matters

The release of these texts as part of Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI reveals a warming relationship between Zuckerberg and Musk during the early days of the second Trump administration. This shift highlights how major tech executives are navigating political and corporate alignments under the new administration.