Elon Musk has accused Apple Inc. of giving preferential treatment to OpenAI on its App Store, alleging that the iPhone maker’s ranking system makes it “impossible” for other developers, including his own AI venture, xAI Holdings to reach the top spot.
The owner of the X social network and the Grok AI chatbot leveled the accusation in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, claiming that Apple is “playing politics” and engaging in anti-competitive behavior.
“Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action,” Musk wrote.
This latest clash comes shortly after Musk’s public confrontation with former U.S. President Donald Trump in June and adds to the ongoing scrutiny of Big Tech’s dominance over app store ecosystems and their influence on app visibility worldwide.
Currently, OpenAI’s ChatGPT app holds the No. 1 spot among free iPhone apps in the U.S. App Store, while Musk’s Grok AI app ranks at No. 5.
Musk’s long-running feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dates back to when the two co-founded the company but eventually split over strategic differences. Altman dismissed Musk’s allegations and instead accused Musk of manipulating the X platform for personal gain.
“OpenAI will just stay focused on making great products,” Altman responded. “This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged about Elon manipulating X to benefit himself and his companies while harming competitors and others he dislikes.”
At its 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple announced plans to deepen its partnership with OpenAI while introducing new artificial intelligence features across its platforms.
