Elon Musk Accuses Apple of Antitrust Violation Over AI App Store Rankings

On August 11, 2025, Elon Musk posted on X:

“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.”

Verified Facts

As of August 12, 2025, OpenAI’s ChatGPT holds the number one spot on the U.S. App Store’s “Top Free Apps” list, while xAI’s Grok is ranked fifth. Google’s Gemini appears much lower in the rankings. Musk has publicly claimed that Apple excluded both Grok and X, his social media platform, from the App Store’s curated “Must Have” section, despite their high usage and popularity metrics.

Apple currently maintains a partnership with OpenAI, integrating ChatGPT directly into iOS and macOS systems. This integration has sparked concerns among rivals about potential preferential treatment. So far, neither Apple, xAI, nor OpenAI has issued an official comment on Musk’s legal threat. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has responded indirectly, suggesting Musk’s complaint is ironic given Musk’s history of altering X’s ranking algorithms to boost visibility for his posts.

Why Musk Believes Apple’s Actions Are Unfair

1. Editorial Promotion Bias
   
   • Apple’s curated “Must Have” list and featured app placements appear to omit competitors like Grok, while prominently featuring OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
     
2. Partnership Influence
   
   • Apple’s system-level integration of ChatGPT provides it with visibility advantages over its rivals, potentially impacting organic search rankings.
     
3. Market Access Barriers
   
   • Musk claims Apple’s ranking and featuring policies make it nearly impossible for competing AI apps to achieve sustained top placement.
     

Regulatory & Legal Context

Apple has previously been involved in the following legal disputes:

• United States
  
  • A judge recently ruled Apple violated a court order in Epic Games v. Apple and referred the company for possible criminal contempt.
    
  • DOJ lawsuit (2024) alleges Apple maintains a smartphone monopoly.
    
• European Union
  
  • Apple fined €500M under the Digital Markets Act for steering restrictions; ruling under appeal.
    

Musk says xAI will “take immediate legal action” against Apple. As of August 12, 2025, no court filing has been made.