Elon Musk has threatened to sue Apple through his AI company, xAI, for an “unequivocal antitrust violation” related to its App Store rankings. Musk claims that Apple is unfairly favoring OpenAI, preventing other AI companies from reaching the number one spot. In a post on X, he questioned why Grok, his app, ranks fifth while OpenAI’s ChatGPT is at the top. This claim has sparked a new and very public chapter in his long-standing feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
The public exchange between the two on X was marked by pointed accusations and counter-accusations. Altman responded to Musk’s claims by highlighting the irony, citing numerous reports that Musk has manipulated X’s algorithm for his own benefit. The animosity between the two began after Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, left the company in 2018. Since then, Musk has sued the company twice, with Altman framing the billionaire’s actions as the bitterness of a jilted partner.
Musk’s core allegation—that Apple’s App Store is a closed system for OpenAI—has been challenged by community notes on X. Users pointed out that other AI apps, such as DeepSeek and Perplexity, have reached the top spot in various regional App Stores this year. This directly contradicts Musk’s claim that it’s “impossible” for any other AI company to achieve the number one ranking. The situation was further complicated by xAI’s own chatbot, Grok, which sided with Altman in the dispute, stating he was “right based on verified evidence.”
This legal threat against Apple comes at a critical time for the company. Apple is already under intense regulatory pressure, facing an antitrust lawsuit from the US Department of Justice and a massive fine from the EU over its App Store policies. Musk’s public statement adds another high-profile challenge to Apple’s dominance and its control over the app ecosystem.