Apple Being Accused By Elon Musk Of Giving Unfair Preference To OpenAI In Its App Store And Vows Legal Repercussions Against The Company; Sam Altman Hits Backs, Calls Out Hypocritical Statement

Aug 12, 2025 at 02:23am EDT
Elon Musk accuses Apple of giving OpenAI unfair preference at its App Store

It is safe to claim that Elon Musk has formed some grudges with high-profile individuals and companies over the years and is not afraid of voicing his disdain for either of the two. The former Senior Advisor to the President has placed Apple in its crosshairs once more, accusing the iPhone maker of giving OpenAI unnecessary favor by putting the latter’s ChatGPT at the top of its App Store rankings. Musk claims that this level of preference means that no competitor can have an advantage over this antitrust violation and promises to take legal action against Apple. Amid these claims, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has responded to Musk’s statements and called him out on his hypocritical stance against the California-based giant.

Altman responds to Musk by saying that he manipulates X and other companies to benefit himself, putting the competition at bay

ChatGPT has been regularly featured in Apple’s App Store editorial content, which would have rubbed Musk the wrong way because, even after xAI launched Grok 4, it has been unable to surpass OpenAI’s app in the rankings. While Tesla’s Chief Executive has not exactly mentioned the kind of legal action he will take against Apple, his recent statement hints that it will likely come under antitrust violations, which the relevant authorities have been hounding the Cupertino firm over for years.

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For those who do not know, Musk also co-founded OpenAI before severing his relationship with the company. After the AI startup gained immense notoriety, Musk sued it to prevent its transition from a non-profit to a for-profit business, a case that has yet to conclude in court. Shortly after Musk pushed out his claims against Apple on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman chimed in, responding that Elon manipulates X and other companies for his own benefit, whether for monetary gain or simply because he does not like a person or a particular company.

In short, Altman’s response is calling out Musk’s hypocritical statement about Apple. In a follow-up post, Altman shares a separate link on how Musk created a “special system” where people on X keep seeing his posts first. As the day passes, we should learn more about what riled up Musk so much that he threatened legal action against Apple. We doubt this is the end of this saga, so stay tuned for more updates.

News Source: Elon Musk

About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.

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