Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has accused Apple of giving OpenAI’s ChatGPT an unfair edge on the App Store, calling it “an unequivocal antitrust violation” and vowing to take immediate legal action.
In a post on X on Monday, Musk claimed Apple’s ranking system makes it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store.” He offered no evidence for the claim but linked it to his long-running feud with the AI giant he co-founded.
“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 said. “xAI will take immediate legal action.”
Rivals Push Back
Users on X quickly pointed out that China’s DeepSeek AI topped the App Store earlier this year, while Perplexity AI recently hit the number one spot in India. Both companies compete directly with OpenAI and Musk’s xAI.
As of Tuesday, ChatGPT ranked first among free iPhone apps, while Musk’s Grok placed fifth. Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment.
OpenAI Partnership in the Spotlight
Musk’s comments come a year after Apple and OpenAI announced a partnership to integrate ChatGPT features into iPhones and other Apple devices. OpenAI recently rolled out ChatGPT-5 for free to its nearly 700 million weekly users.
Long-Running Feud
The latest dispute adds to a bitter legal battle. OpenAI has accused Musk of waging a “relentless campaign” to damage the company after leaving it years before its breakthrough with ChatGPT. In a countersuit filed in April, OpenAI alleged Musk’s aim was to build a rival AI firm “not for humanity but for Elon Musk.”
Musk founded xAI in 2023, positioning it as a direct challenger to OpenAI and other AI heavyweights.
