A new legal battle is brewing in the tech industry as Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, threatens to sue Apple. Musk claims that Apple is committing an “unequivocal antitrust violation” by favoring OpenAI in its App Store rankings. The billionaire alleges that it is “impossible” for any other AI company to reach the number one spot, pointing to OpenAI’s ChatGPT’s top ranking and his own Grok app’s fifth-place position as evidence. This public accusation has re-ignited a heated feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
The feud played out publicly on X, where Altman responded to Musk’s claims with biting sarcasm. Altman highlighted the irony of Musk’s accusations, citing multiple reports that Musk has manipulated the X platform’s algorithm for his own benefit. The animosity between the two dates back to Musk’s departure from OpenAI in 2018 after a disagreement over the company’s direction. Since then, Musk has sued the company twice, and Altman has consistently portrayed him as a disgruntled ex-partner.
Musk’s central argument—that Apple’s ranking system is biased—is contradicted by evidence from community notes on X. Users have pointed out that other AI apps, such as DeepSeek and Perplexity, have reached the number one spot on the App Store this year in different regions. This factual information directly challenges Musk’s assertion that the top spot is exclusively reserved for OpenAI. Making the situation even more awkward for Musk, his own AI, Grok, sided with Altman in the dispute.
Musk’s legal threat comes at a pivotal moment for Apple, as the company faces increasing regulatory pressure over its App Store. The EU has recently fined Apple for its anti-steering policies, and the US Department of Justice has filed a major antitrust lawsuit. Musk’s public allegations add another high-profile challenge to Apple’s dominance and its control over the app ecosystem.