Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has publicly accused Apple Inc. of engaging in unfair practices that favor OpenAI in the company’s App Store rankings. Musk, founder of xAI Holdings—which includes the Grok AI team and the social media platform X—claims that Apple’s policies effectively block other AI companies from reaching the top of the App Store charts.
In a pinned post on his X account late Monday, Musk questioned whether Apple is “playing politics” by refusing to promote his products, calling the situation “an unequivocal antitrust violation.” He further announced that xAI will pursue immediate legal action against Apple over the alleged bias.
Apple’s App Store is a critical platform for app developers worldwide, with top rankings offering valuable visibility and user engagement. Currently, OpenAI’s ChatGPT holds the position as the most-downloaded free iPhone app in the U.S., while Musk’s Grok app ranks at No. 5.
Apple and OpenAI maintain a close partnership, with AI technologies from OpenAI integrated into the latest iPhones. Musk’s longstanding rivalry with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman adds another layer to the conflict. The two were once collaborators but parted ways after disagreements following OpenAI’s founding.
Apple and OpenAI have yet to respond to requests for comment regarding Musk’s allegations.
