Musk asserts his intentions to file a lawsuit against Apple for failing to include X and Grok within their list of top apps
In a recent development, tech mogul Elon Musk has announced his intention to sue Apple over alleged antitrust violations related to the App Store. Musk, the owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and X, has accused Apple of manipulating its app ranking system to prevent any AI company except OpenAI from reaching the top spot.
Musk's grievances centre around the iOS app ChatGPT (from OpenAI), which is ranked #1 in the App Store, while his company's AI products, including the Grok app and the social media app X (formerly Twitter, acquired by Musk), are ranked lower despite strong user engagement. Musk publicly questioned Apple's motives on X, suggesting political bias in Apple's ranking decisions.
This lawsuit threat is part of a broader dispute between Musk's AI ventures and the current app ecosystem on Apple's platform. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to Musk's lawsuit threat by criticizing Musk's past actions on X and emphasizing OpenAI's focus on product quality instead of app store rankings. As of mid-August 2025, no formal lawsuit has been filed yet, but Musk has made clear his intention to pursue legal action unless the ranking situation changes.
Apple has faced various antitrust allegations in recent years. In April, the European Union fined Apple 500 million euros for breaking competition rules. Last year, regulators of the 27-nation bloc fined Apple nearly $2 billion for unfairly favoring its own music streaming service. Apple has defended the fairness of its App Store, stating that it is designed to be fair and free of bias.
The App Store features thousands of apps through various methods, including charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria. Apple's goal is to offer safe discovery for users and valuable opportunities for developers, collaborating with many to increase app visibility in rapidly evolving categories.
However, Apple was found to have violated a court injunction by a federal judge in a recent antitrust case filed by Fortnite maker Epic Games. Apple was also accused of preventing app makers from pointing users to cheaper options outside its App Store.
As of early Tuesday, TikTok was the top app in Apple's App Store, followed by Tinder, Duolingo, YouTube, and Bumble. Open AI's ChatGPT was ranked 7th. Musk posted his comments on X on Monday, stating that Apple is refusing to put either X or Grok in the 'Must Have' section, despite X being the #1 news app in the world and Grok being #5 among all apps.
The news of Musk's legal action against Apple adds to the ongoing debate about the fairness of app store rankings and the role of tech giants in shaping the digital marketplace. The outcome of this case could set a significant precedent for future antitrust cases involving tech companies.
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