Musk’s accusation drew swift backlash, as users noted other AI apps like DeepSeek and Perplexity had topped App Store charts; the dispute intensified amid recent updates to Grok and ChatGPT, which ranked first and fifth in the U.S., respectively

A fresh controversy has erupted in the tech world after Elon Musk accused Apple of favouring OpenAI’s ChatGPT on the App Store, calling it a potential antitrust violation. Musk, who heads the AI startup xAI, made the allegation in a post on X, his social media platform, sparking a sharp rebuttal from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

“Apple is making it effectively impossible for any AI firm other than OpenAI to reach the top position in the App Store,” Musk claimed on Monday. He called the situation a "clear antitrust issue" and announced that xAI would be pursuing legal action, though he did not provide specific evidence to support the claim.

Musk and Altman trade blows

The accusation prompted an immediate backlash from users and observers, some of whom pointed out that other AI apps, including China's DeepSeek and Perplexity AI, have also reached top ranks in various regional App Stores this year.

Altman responded publicly on Tuesday, calling Musk’s claim “remarkable” and suggesting the billionaire was using his influence over X to benefit his own companies. Musk fired back, labelling Altman a “liar,” escalating the dispute in a public exchange that drew widespread attention across the tech industry.

The tensions come as both xAI and OpenAI launched updates to their flagship AI tools—Grok and ChatGPT—within the past week. As of Tuesday, ChatGPT was ranked the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store in the U.S., while Grok held the fifth position.

Old feud fuels new battle

Apple has yet to issue a comment on the matter. The company’s App Store rankings are based on multiple factors, including downloads, user engagement, and reviews.

The friction adds to an already contentious relationship between Musk and OpenAI. Earlier this year, OpenAI filed counterclaims against Musk, alleging he has been attempting to sabotage the company after parting ways with it years ago. The legal filing suggested Musk aimed to undermine OpenAI’s mission while building a rival AI enterprise of his own.

OpenAI and Apple announced a partnership in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT capabilities into iPhones and other Apple devices. The rollout of ChatGPT-5 to hundreds of millions of users has further intensified competition in the AI race, which now includes major players like Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Musk’s xAI.