Elon Musk Accuses Apple of Unfair App Store Practices Favoring OpenAI’s ChatGPT

• Musk’s Antitrust Claim Against Apple

  On August 11, 2025, Musk posted on X that Apple makes it “impossible” for any AI app other than OpenAI’s ChatGPT to hold the App Store’s top spot, calling it an “unequivocal antitrust violation.” He announced that his AI company, xAI, would take immediate legal action.

  In a pinned post the same day, Musk accuses Apple of excluding X (ranked #1 in News) and Grok (#5 in the “Top Free Apps” list) from its “Must Have” section, hinting at political bias. Neither Musk nor xAI provided direct evidence to support these allegations.

• Counterexamples from Users and Grok’s Commentary

  X users noted that DeepSeek AI topped the App Store in January 2025 and Perplexity AI reached #1 in India in July, both after the Apple–OpenAI alliance began. This contradicts the claim that only OpenAI’s ChatGPT can claim the top position.

  xAI’s Grok commented that Apple’s curation “appears biased,” suggesting editorial caution toward xAI’s unfiltered style was stifling competition. When asked to weigh in, Grok replied: “Based on verified evidence, Sam Altman is right.”

• Altman’s Response and Escalation

  On August 12, Sam Altman called Musk’s accusation “remarkable” and claimed Musk manipulates X’s algorithm to favor his companies and harm competitors, a charge supported by past media reports. Musk called Altman a “liar” and mocked his higher post view count despite Musk’s larger follower base. Altman countered with remarks like “skill issue” and “or bots” and challenged Musk to sign an affidavit swearing he had never ordered X algorithm changes to hurt competitors, offering to apologize if true.

• Recent AI Product Launches

  Both OpenAI and xAI launched updated AI assistants in the past week — ChatGPT (upgraded to ChatGPT-5) and Grok. As of August 12, ChatGPT ranked first in Apple’s U.S. “Top Free Apps” section, while Grok ranked fifth (or sixth according to some tracking).

• Apple’s Position and Regulatory Context

  Apple has not commented on the dispute. App Store rankings are determined by downloads, reviews, and engagement metrics, but its curation policies — such as the “Must Have” section — are editorially controlled.

  Apple’s App Store operations face heavy legal scrutiny:

  – In April 2025, a U.S. court ruled Apple violated a prior order from the 2021 Epic Games antitrust case requiring more payment flexibility.

  – Also in April, the EU fined Apple €500 million ($570–581 million) for limiting developers from steering users outside the App Store — a decision Apple has appealed.

  – In March 2024, the U.S. DOJ sued Apple for maintaining a “broad, sustained, and illegal” smartphone monopoly.

• OpenAI–Apple Alliance

  In June 2024, Apple partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Musk previously threatened to ban Apple devices at X, Tesla, and SpaceX over this integration — though it’s unclear if he followed through. OpenAI reports ChatGPT now has nearly 700 million weekly users.

• AI Market Context

  Since ChatGPT’s late-2022 debut, major tech rivals — Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and xAI — have invested billions in AI R&D. Chinese startup DeepSeek disrupted the market in early 2025 with a high-performance, lower-cost model.

• Ongoing Legal Feud Between Musk and OpenAI

  Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk left in 2018 after a failed takeover attempt and withdrawal of funding. Since then, Musk has sued OpenAI twice, most recently in 2024, accusing it of abandoning its original mission in what he described as “deceit of Shakespearean proportions.”

  In April 2025, OpenAI filed counterclaims accusing Musk of waging a “relentless campaign” to damage the company and building xAI to surpass it for personal rather than humanitarian goals.

• xAI’s Origin

  Musk founded xAI in 2023 to directly compete with OpenAI and other major AI players, positioning it as a challenger to entrenched market leaders.

Why This Matters:

This clash blends corporate rivalry, personal history, and regulatory politics. App Store rankings and editorial curation can shape the adoption trajectory of AI tools, influencing competitive balance. The feud comes amid global antitrust actions against Apple, with potential consequences for how platforms control market access. It also reflects the geopolitical AI race, with U.S. partnerships, Chinese disruptors, and litigation shaping the next phase of the industry.