Elon Musk has vowed to take “immediate legal action” against Apple for an alleged antitrust violation in regard to Apple’s App Store ranking. With this signifying the potential start of an epic clash between two tech titans, let’s take a look at the details and what this could mean for AI and app ecosystems.
Musk’s Accusations: Favoritism and Competition at Stake
The ever-controversial CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and now xAI, posted on his X account (formerly Twitter) in the late hours on Monday, “Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either X or Grok in your ‘Must Have’ section when X is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps? Are you playing politics?”
Musk’s accusations center on Apple’s App Store ranking for AI apps. According to reports, he is accusing Apple of sidelining his AI ventures like Grok and xAI to favor competitors like OpenAI. With this he argues an antitrust violation, that Apple is stifling market competition, which makes it difficult for upstarts like xAI to thrive.
“Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action,” said Musk.
Are Any of Musk’s Claims Legit?
Musk hasn’t exactly submitted any hardcore evidence to back up his claims of Apple’s foul play. However, his threats and allegations have sparked a frenzy of reactions from fans, critics, and investors.
A High-Stakes Showdown
Musk’s claim of an antitrust violation by Apple’s App Store comes at impeccable timing amid the ongoing regulatory scrutiny of the App Store practices. In April 2025, the EU fined Apple over €500 million for preventing developers from directing users to cheaper options outside its App Store.
Also, Musk’s jabs at Apple regarding the antitrust violations also involve OpenAI. Through what we can see in his posts so far, Musk is indirectly questioning the legitimacy of OpenAI’s ChatGPT rankings on the App Store.
“Why are the Grok and X apps excluded from every list, except those measuring raw downloads, but ChatGPT is on every list? This is messed up!” said Musk in his X post.
He further said, “Apple is the gateway to the internet for half of America. They are making it impossible for any other AI company to succeed by relentlessly promoting OpenAI in every way possible!”
From Musk’s track record, he isn’t one to hold back in legal tussles. He had previously taken swings at OpenAI, his one-time co-founded venture, for abandoning its founding values as a non-profit. In 2022, he had also criticized Apple’s Store fees, calling them a “tax on the internet.”
OpenAI Pushes Back
Although there hasn’t been an official response from Apple, OpenAI isn’t taking Musk’s accusations lying down. In response to Musk’s post on X, Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, wrote, “This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn’t like.”
What’s Next?
So far, the ongoing feud and antitrust threats towards Apple are hinting at a deeper rivalry with OpenAI. There is no concrete evidence to suggest foul play on Apple’s App Store, although the timing of the allegation is quite sensitive, so there’s a probability Musk will be able to make a case against Apple.
There’s also the possibility of the EU picking up on Musk’s allegations and being a part of the investigation. With time we’ll see if Musk will follow up on his threats and the results it will yield. Until then, stay tuned.
