Elon Musk Threatens Lawsuit Against Apple Over Grok AI App Store Ranking and Antitrust Claims

Elon Musk has escalated his dispute with Apple, accusing the tech giant of anti-competitive practices involving the App Store ranking of his AI chatbot Grok and his social media platform X. Musk announced on Monday that his AI company, xAI, intends to take “immediate legal action” against Apple if the situation isn’t rectified, alleging Apple unfairly favors OpenAI’s ChatGPT in its curated app listings.

Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either ???? or Grok in your “Must Have” section when ???? is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps?

Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know. https://t.co/3wenLZGtwG — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2025

In a series of posts on X, Musk criticized Apple for excluding X — currently the world’s top news app — and Grok, ranked fifth among all apps, from the App Store’s “Must Have” section, which prominently features key apps. “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,” Musk wrote.

Musk questioned whether Apple’s editorial policies are being used to “play politics,” pointing out that ChatGPT appears in every Apple-curated app list. This accusation comes amid Apple’s growing collaboration with OpenAI, including the integration of OpenAI’s technology into Apple’s Siri voice assistant and its Apple Intelligence features, which launched earlier this year.

Apple’s App Store is known for its strict curation process, combining human editorial oversight and automated algorithms that impact app rankings, visibility, and user reviews. Apple describes the store as “highly curated” to ensure quality and security, but this curation process has faced criticism for alleged favoritism and opaque decision-making.

This confrontation is also tied to Musk’s ongoing legal dispute with OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015 but later left due to strategic disagreements. Musk filed a lawsuit scheduled for trial in March, challenging OpenAI’s shift from nonprofit to a for-profit structure. He claims his $45 million donation was conditional on OpenAI remaining a nonprofit, a condition he says OpenAI violated.

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has denied these claims, accusing Musk of attempting to absorb OpenAI into Tesla for funding purposes. Microsoft, a major OpenAI investor, has supported Altman’s position, dismissing Musk’s lawsuit as unfounded.

Industry analysts say this case shines a light on the broader tensions in the AI industry — including issues of market control, competition, and the influence of platform owners like Apple. How Apple manages app rankings and its editorial decisions can significantly impact AI developers competing for visibility and users.

Musk’s legal threat against Apple also raises questions about the future of app marketplaces and how much influence tech giants should hold over which apps reach consumers. For xAI and Musk, it’s a fight for equal footing in an increasingly crowded AI field.

Apple has not publicly responded to Musk’s allegations at this time.

Also Read: U.S. Government to Collect 15% of Nvidia and AMD's China AI Chip Revenue