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
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