Apple Faces Legal Threat from Musk’s xAI Over Alleged App Store Bias

Elon Musk, through his AI company xAI, has threatened legal action against Apple, accusing the company of an “unequivocal antitrust violation.” Musk claims that Apple’s App Store is unfairly favoring OpenAI, making it impossible for competing AI companies like his to reach the top. He specifically cited OpenAI’s ChatGPT holding the number one spot while his own Grok app is ranked fifth. This accusation immediately reignited his bitter feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
The public exchange on X saw a series of heated and personal exchanges. Altman responded to Musk’s claims by drawing a parallel to Musk’s own alleged behavior, citing reports that he has manipulated X’s algorithm for his own benefit. The animosity between the two stems from Musk’s departure from OpenAI in 2018, a company he co-founded. Since then, Musk has sued the company twice, and Altman has consistently portrayed him as a bitter and resentful ex-partner.
Musk’s central claim about Apple’s App Store being a closed system for OpenAI has been contradicted by community notes on X. Users provided evidence that other AI apps, such as DeepSeek and Perplexity, have also reached the number one spot this year in different regional App Stores. This directly challenges Musk’s assertion that the system is rigged. The situation was further complicated by xAI’s own chatbot, Grok, which, when asked about the feud, sided with Altman.
This legal threat from Musk comes at a time when Apple is already facing a barrage of regulatory challenges. The company was recently fined by the EU and is currently facing a major antitrust lawsuit from the US Department of Justice. Musk’s public allegations add another high-profile challenge to Apple’s dominance and its control over the app ecosystem.