NewsletterQ&AIMusk’s xAI Merger Poses Bigger Threat to OpenAI, AnthropicCombining with SpaceX may help Musk’s AI startup find more capital, talent and dataFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftExpandElon Musk’s move to merge xAI with SpaceX may shake up the AI landscape.Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/BloombergFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftGift this articleContact us:Provide news feedback or report an errorConfidential tip?Send a tip to our reportersSite feedback:Take our SurveyNew WindowFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftBy Shirin Ghaffary and Carmen ArroyoFebruary 3, 2026 at 9:59 PM UTCBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.Elon Musk’s deal to merge his AI and space ventures may give rivals like OpenAI more cause for concern. But first…Three things to know: