Elon Musk’s xAI sues Apple over App Store rankings

Elon Musk’s AI company xAI — behind the chatbot Grok — has filed a lawsuit against Apple (and separately named OpenAI) in a US court, alleging anticompetitive conduct that blocked X and Grok from prominent App Store placement to favor OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Key points

• xAI claims Apple excluded the X app and Grok from App Store “Must Have”/featured placements despite their popularity.
• The complaint alleges a coordinated scheme between Apple and OpenAI that has caused “billions” in damages.
• Apple has not issued an official response. OpenAI called Musk’s lawsuit part of an “ongoing pattern of harassment.”

Background

Musk had publicly accused Apple of disadvantaging X and Grok before filing the suit. The case centers on app discovery and platform gatekeeping — issues central to competition in both the App Store marketplace and the growing generative AI sector.

Sources & further reading

Coverage: Business Insider, CBS News, 9to5Mac.

Note: This post summarizes initial reports and the complaint; watch for official filings and statements from Apple/OpenAI for confirmation and updates.