Elon Musk is once again clashing with a major tech company, this time threatening to sue Apple over its App Store rankings. On behalf of his AI startup xAI, Musk alleges that Apple is committing an “unequivocal antitrust violation” by unfairly favoring OpenAI. He pointed to OpenAI’s ChatGPT holding the number one spot while his Grok app is ranked fifth, calling the situation an unfair advantage. This accusation has sparked a public dispute with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on X.
The public feud on X quickly escalated. Altman responded to Musk’s claims by pointing to the billionaire’s own alleged history of manipulating the X platform’s algorithm to benefit his companies and harm competitors. This exchange is the latest chapter in their long-standing animosity, which began when Musk left OpenAI in 2018. Since his departure, Musk has sued the company twice, and Altman has frequently characterized him as a petty and jealous ex-partner.
Musk’s claims about the App Store being biased have been challenged by community notes on X. Users have provided evidence that other AI apps have also reached the number one spot on the platform this year, including DeepSeek and Perplexity. This evidence directly undermines Musk’s central argument that the top spot is exclusively reserved for OpenAI. The irony of the situation was further highlighted when xAI’s own chatbot, Grok, when asked about the feud, sided with Altman.
Musk’s legal threat against Apple adds to a growing list of challenges for the company. Apple is currently facing intense regulatory pressure, including a significant antitrust lawsuit from the US Department of Justice and a €500 million fine from the EU for its App Store policies. Musk’s public allegations add another high-profile voice to the chorus of critics, further increasing scrutiny of Apple’s market power.