Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), has declared his intention to sue Apple over alleged bias in the App Store. The dispute centers on Musk’s claim that Apple is intentionally excluding both X and the Grok AI chatbot from its “Must Have” section in the App Store’s top app recommendations.

Musk took to X on Monday to publicly criticize the tech giant, stating:
"Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either X or Grok in your ‘Must Have’ section when X is the No. 1 news app in the world and Grok is No. 5 among all apps? Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know."

Grok, developed by xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, is positioned as a major competitor in the growing AI chatbot market. Musk argues that Apple’s alleged exclusionary practices are hindering fair competition.

He went further to accuse Apple of deliberately creating an environment that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to claim the top position in the App Store, describing it as an "unequivocal antitrust violation". Musk confirmed that xAI will take immediate legal action, though he did not specify what form that action will take.

Apple has not responded to Musk’s accusations as of the latest update.

Past Antitrust Disputes Involving Apple

Apple has faced multiple high-profile antitrust allegations in recent years, drawing scrutiny from both U.S. and international regulators:

1. Epic Games Case – A U.S. federal judge found Apple guilty of violating a court injunction in a legal battle with Epic Games, creator of Fortnite.

2. EU Fines – In April 2025, the European Union fined Apple €500 million for preventing app developers from directing users to cheaper payment options outside the App Store.

3. Music Streaming Monopoly Claims – In 2024, the EU imposed a nearly $2 billion fine on Apple for allegedly favoring Apple Music over competitors such as Spotify.

These cases underscore a pattern of regulatory pressure on Apple’s business practices, particularly concerning its App Store policies.

Current App Store Rankings and Competition

As of early Tuesday, the top apps in Apple’s App Store were:

1. TikTok

2. Tinder

3. Duolingo

4. YouTube

5. Bumble

6. (Other apps)

7. OpenAI’s ChatGPT

Neither X nor Grok appeared in Apple’s “Must Have” recommendations, despite their popularity in downloads and user engagement.

Apple’s Upcoming AI Push with GPT-5

Adding to the competitive tension, Apple is preparing to integrate OpenAI’s GPT-5 model into its products. The GPT-5 is being described as OpenAI’s most advanced AI model yet, with significant improvements in:

• Coding capabilities

• Accuracy

• Safety

• Performance

Apple plans to make GPT-5 accessible with the release of the iPhone 17 Series, positioning itself as a key player in the AI ecosystem—a move that could further strain relations with competing AI developers like xAI.

Potential Legal and Market Implications

If Musk proceeds with the lawsuit, it could become another landmark antitrust case in the tech industry. Key implications include:

• Regulatory Scrutiny – Global regulators may revisit Apple’s App Store policies.

• Market Competition – The lawsuit could influence how AI apps are ranked and recommended in major app stores.

• Public Perception – Musk’s high-profile challenge may sway public opinion about fairness in the app ecosystem.

Conclusion

The Musk vs. Apple dispute highlights the growing friction between big tech companies over market access, user visibility, and control of the AI landscape. As AI continues to dominate technology headlines, the outcome of this legal battle could reshape how app store algorithms and recommendations operate, potentially opening the door to a more competitive and transparent system.

For now, the tech world waits to see whether Musk will follow through with his lawsuit—and how Apple will respond to these latest allegations of favoritism and antitrust violations.

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