Musk threatens Apple with litigation amidst increasing conflict surrounding Altman's OpenAI endeavor
In a recent turn of events, tech mogul Elon Musk has threatened legal action against Apple, alleging unfair favoritism towards OpenAI, the developer of the popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT. Musk claims that Apple's ranking system makes it impossible for any AI company other than OpenAI to reach the number one spot in the App Store, which he calls an antitrust violation[1][2][3].
The dispute between Musk and OpenAI is happening amid heightened regulatory attention on Apple's App Store. In early 2024, the EU fined Apple €500m for breaching competition rules by preventing developers from directing users to alternative payment options[4].
As of August 2025, Apple’s App Store ranked OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the number one free app, while Musk’s xAI chatbot, Grok, ranked much lower (fifth or sixth depending on the source)[1][2][3]. Musk has publicly questioned Apple’s editorial decisions, pointing out that neither his app nor the news app X (also owned by Musk) is featured in Apple’s “Must Have” section despite X being the top news app worldwide[1][3].
Musk claims Apple is acting in a politically motivated manner favouring OpenAI, highlighting a high-profile partnership Apple made with OpenAI in mid-2024 to integrate ChatGPT more deeply on Apple devices[3]. However, there is no public, independent evidence confirming that Apple favours OpenAI over other AI companies in its App Store rankings and listings[3].
Apple has not publicly responded to Musk’s accusations as of the latest reports. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismissed Musk’s claims as remarkable and suggested Musk himself has a history of manipulating platforms to his advantage[2][3]. It is worth noting that the long-running feud between Musk and Altman began after Musk’s departure from OpenAI in 2018[5].
The feud has resulted in lawsuits, counter-suits, and public criticism over OpenAI’s move to a for-profit structure and its partnerships with Microsoft and Apple. The US Department of Justice has also filed an antitrust suit alleging Apple maintains an unlawful monopoly over the smartphone market[6].
References:
- Bloomberg
- The Verge
- TechCrunch
- Reuters
- The Information
- CNBC
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