Musk asserts his intentions to file a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that they have neglected to include X or Grok in their list of top apps.
In a recent turn of events, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has threatened to file a lawsuit against tech giant Apple, accusing the company of antitrust violations in its App Store practices[1][2][3]. Musk claims that Apple's App Store makes it "impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1," by allegedly favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT over his own AI app, Grok[1][2].
As of now, it is unclear whether Musk or his company xAI has officially filed a lawsuit—reports mention threats or intentions to sue but no confirmed suit has been publicly filed yet[1][2]. Apple has responded by denying any favoritism, stating the App Store’s curation is "designed to be fair and free of bias," emphasizing objective criteria and user safety for featuring apps[1]. OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman also dismissed Musk’s claims, highlighting Musk’s own actions to manipulate outcomes with his companies[2].
The current allegations against Apple are part of a broader pattern of antitrust concerns regarding the company. In the past two years, the European Union has fined Apple a total of over $2.7 billion for antitrust violations[4]. Last year, the EU fined Apple nearly $2 billion for unfairly favoring its own music streaming service by forbidding rivals like Spotify from informing users about cheaper subscription options outside of iPhone apps[5].
Musk's AI startup, xAI, owns the Grok artificial intelligence chatbot app, which is the fifth most popular app overall[3]. As of early Tuesday, Open AI's ChatGPT is ranked 7th in Apple's App Store[6]. The top apps in Apple's App Store, as of the same day, include TikTok, Tinder, Duolingo, YouTube, and Bumble[6]. The lawsuit is related to Apple's alleged preferential treatment of these apps in its App Store[7].
In a related development, Apple has faced a recent court ruling finding it guilty of antitrust violations by a federal judge in an antitrust case filed by Fortnite maker Epic Games[8]. The EU has also been actively investigating Apple for antitrust violations in recent years[9].
Musk has not provided further details about the lawsuit[2]. Apple has not issued a comment regarding the recent allegations of antitrust violations[10].
- The EU has fined Apple a total of over $2.7 billion in the past two years for antitrust violations.
- Grok is the fifth most popular app overall.
- xAI is an artificial intelligence startup owned by Elon Musk.
- Last year, the European Union fined Apple nearly $2 billion for unfairly favoring its own music streaming service by forbidding rivals like Spotify from informing users about cheaper subscription options outside of iPhone apps.
- The current allegations against Apple in relation to its App Store practices are part of a broader pattern of antitrust concerns regarding the company.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-faces-new-antitrust-lawsuit-elon-musk-accuses-app-store-bias-2025-08-01/ [2] https://www.theverge.com/2025/08/01/22457465/elon-musk-apple-antitrust-lawsuit-threat-app-store-xai [3] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-01/elon-musk-s-x-ai-app-grok-is-fifth-most-popular-on-iphone [4] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-eu-fines/european-union-fines-apple-over-2-7-billion-for-antitrust-violations-idUSKCN2BJ16U [5] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-eu-antitrust-spotify-idUSKCN21Q1YL [6] https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/01/apple-app-store-top-charts-august-2025/ [7] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/01/elon-musk-threatens-apple-with-antitrust-lawsuit-over-app-store-treatment-of-xai [8] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/30/epic-games-wins-antitrust-case-against-apple-and-google-in-us-court.html [9] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-apple-antitrust-idUSKCN1QV16E [10] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/01/apple-did-not-respond-to-a-request-for-comment-on-elon-musks-threat-of-an-antitrust-lawsuit.html
- The EU has fined Apple over $2.7 billion for antitrust violations in the past two years, demonstrating a pattern of concerns regarding the company's business practices.
- A recent lawsuit threat by Elon Musk alleges that Apple's finance-based policy and legislation in its App Store practices favor OpenAI's ChatGPT over his AI startup xAI's Grok application, which is the fifth most popular app overall in the technology industry.
- xAI, an artificial intelligence startup owned by Elon Musk, develops the Grok AI chatbot application, challenging the dominance of other popular apps such as TikTok, Tinder, Duolingo, YouTube, and Bumble in the general news.
- Last year, the EU fined Apple nearly $2 billion for antitrust violations, specifically for unfairly favoring its own finance streaming service and forbidding rivals like Spotify from offering cheaper subscription options outside of iPhone apps, further highlighting the broader concerns about Apple's fintech and policy-and-legislation practices.
- Apple has not issued a comment regarding the recent allegations of antitrust violations, and it remains uncertain whether Musk or his company xAI has officially filed a lawsuit, underscoring the growing scrutiny of the tech giant in the politics and general news.
