Musk under fire as Altman alleges self-serving manipulation of X by Musk

In the world of technology, the rivalry between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has reached new heights. As both leaders push their visions for AI, their public war of words underscores the high stakes of technological innovation and the power dynamics shaping it.

As of August 2025, Elon Musk has announced plans to sue Apple for allegedly engaging in anti-competitive behavior by not listing his X and Grok AI chatbot apps among the top recommended apps in the App Store. Musk claims Apple is favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT and making it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to attain the #1 ranking, which he considers an "unequivocal antitrust violation."

The legal threat comes against a backdrop of prior antitrust scrutiny of Apple, including a recent court ruling that found Apple violated an injunction in the Epic Games antitrust case and significant fines by European regulators for anti-competitive practices in the App Store. As of early August 2025, OpenAI’s ChatGPT app ranked seventh in Apple's App Store, behind apps like TikTok, Tinder, and Duolingo.

Musk's accusation centers on Apple's refusal to feature X (formerly Twitter) and Grok (Musk's AI chatbot) in the "Must Have" section, despite X being the #1 news app globally and Grok ranking #5 among all apps. Apple has not publicly responded to these allegations.

The clash between Altman and Musk is more than a personal feud - it's a battle over the future of AI. The outcome of their disputes could shape AI access for decades. The tech world watches closely to see how this rivalry will reshape the industry.

This latest round in the Musk-Altman feud is not the first. In February 2025, Musk made a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, which was mockingly rejected by Altman with a counter-offer to buy X for $9.74 billion. The scheduled March 2025 trial over OpenAI’s for-profit shift could set precedents for AI development and platform accountability.

The dispute between Altman and Musk raises questions about fairness, algorithmic transparency, and the future of AI innovation. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, dismissed Musk's claims and accused him of manipulating X to benefit himself. On the other hand, Altman's focus is on "making great products" and pushing forward with GPT-5 and potential new ventures, such as a rumored social network to rival X.

As the battle between these two AI titans continues, one thing is certain: the future of AI will be shaped by the decisions they make and the actions they take. The tech world eagerly awaits the next move in this high-stakes game of innovation and power.

[1] Source: TechCrunch, The Verge, Bloomberg, and Reuters news articles.