Elon Musk says his AI startup xAI will sue Apple, accusing the tech giant of breaking antitrust laws in how it manages App Store rankings.
“Apple is behaving in a way that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store. That’s a clear antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action,” Musk posted on X.
Musk offered no evidence to back his claim, and Apple, OpenAI, and xAI did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. ChatGPT currently tops the App Store’s “Top Free Apps” list in the US, while xAI’s Grok ranks fifth and Google’s Gemini sits at 57th. Sensor Tower data shows ChatGPT also leads on the Google Play Store.
Apple’s partnership with OpenAI integrates ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Musk also questioned why X and Grok are excluded from the App Store’s “Must Have” section, despite high rankings.
His remarks come as Apple faces mounting regulatory and legal scrutiny over its App Store control. In April, a US judge found Apple violated a court order to allow more competition, referring the matter for criminal contempt review in the Epic Games case. The EU also fined Apple €500 million ($587 million) for restricting developers from directing users to cheaper deals outside the App Store, breaching the Digital Markets Act.