The rivalry between tech titans Elon Musk and Sam Altman just got even spicier.
This time, the OpenAI CEO fired back after Musk accused Apple of showing favoritism to OpenAI on the App Store—going as far as threatening legal action.
The Accusation That Sparked the Clash
On August 12, 2025, Elon Musk took to his social platform X to accuse Apple of blocking other AI companies from reaching the coveted #1 spot on the App Store—except OpenAI.
Musk posted:
“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.”
He pointed to his AI company xAI—the team behind the Grok chatbot—as a victim of this alleged favoritism, claiming Apple’s rankings make it impossible for competitors to get fair visibility.
The post exploded online with 14.6 million views and over 107,000 engagements.
Why People Aren’t Buying Musk’s Claim
While Musk accused Apple of propping up OpenAI, netizens quickly fact-checked him. Many pointed out that:
- In January 2025, DeepSeek topped the App Store charts.
- On July 18, 2025, Perplexity held the #1 spot.
Critics argued Musk’s post centered more on his personal frustrations with Grok’s performance than on actual antitrust violations.
Sam Altman’s Blistering Response
Sam Altman didn’t let Musk’s comments slide. In a sharp reply on X, he wrote:
“This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn’t like.”
The response went viral, racking up 4 million views, 2,400 comments, 2,600 shares, and 26,000 likes—sparking a fresh wave of debate.
A Rivalry Years in the Making
The Altman–Musk feud is far from new. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left the board in 2018 after disagreements over the organization’s direction. In March 2023, he launched xAI as a direct competitor—often using X to criticize OpenAI’s business model and ethics.
Altman, usually measured in his responses, has occasionally pushed back, but this latest exchange shows tensions are only escalating.
The Bigger Picture: Tech Giants, Platforms & Power
This clash isn’t just about Apple rankings—it’s about platform control, market influence, and tech ego. Both Musk and Altman lead companies at the forefront of AI innovation, but they also hold massive sway over public narratives.
While Musk accuses Apple of tilting the playing field, Altman’s retort implies Musk might be guilty of similar tactics on X. The public, as always, is caught in the crossfire.
Final Take
For Apple, the drama might be a minor PR headache. For Musk and Altman, it’s yet another chapter in an ongoing rivalry that’s shaping the future of AI—and the power struggle behind it.
