The tech world is witnessing a dramatic new chapter in the rivalry between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, as Musk threatens to sue Apple. Musk’s AI company, xAI, is accusing Apple of an “unequivocal antitrust violation,” alleging that the company is rigging its App Store rankings to favor OpenAI. Musk’s posts on X highlighted the disparity between his Grok app, which is ranked fifth, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which holds the top spot, as evidence of this alleged bias.
The public confrontation on X was a fiery back-and-forth between the two former business partners. Altman responded to Musk’s accusations by pointing out the billionaire’s own alleged history of manipulating X’s algorithm to benefit his companies and harm competitors. The animosity between the two has been a long-standing issue, stemming from Musk’s departure from OpenAI in 2018. Musk has since sued the company twice, and Altman has publicly labeled him a jealous and bitter ex-partner.
Musk’s claim that Apple’s App Store is a closed system for OpenAI has been debunked by community notes on X. Users have provided evidence that other AI apps, including the Chinese app DeepSeek and Perplexity, have also reached the number one spot in different markets this year. This factual counter-evidence undermines Musk’s central argument. Adding to the irony, xAI’s own chatbot, Grok, sided with Altman when asked about the dispute, stating that “based on verified evidence, Sam Altman is right.”
Musk’s legal threat against Apple comes at a time when the company is already under significant pressure from regulators. Both the EU and the US Department of Justice have launched major actions against Apple over its App Store policies, accusing the company of anti-competitive behavior and maintaining an illegal monopoly. Musk’s public allegations add another layer of scrutiny to Apple’s business practices and its control over the app ecosystem.