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Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Apple Over App Store Rankings

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Elon Musk announced on Monday that his AI startup xAI will pursue legal action against Apple, accusing the tech giant of violating antitrust rules by allegedly favoring OpenAI’s ChatGPT in App Store rankings.

Musk claimed Apple’s App Store policies make it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1,” calling the practice a “clear antitrust violation.” At present, ChatGPT is ranked first in the U.S. App Store’s “Top Free Apps,” while xAI’s chatbot Grok stands in fifth place.

Musk also criticized Apple for not featuring X (formerly Twitter) or Grok in its “Must Have” section, despite X being the “#1 news app globally” and Grok ranking among the top five apps. He suggested Apple might be “playing politics” in its selection process.

Apple, OpenAI, and xAI did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pushed back against Musk’s claims, pointing out the irony by referencing Musk’s own alleged efforts to manipulate X for personal advantage.

Community fact-checkers on X highlighted that other AI apps, such as China’s DeepSeek and Perplexity AI, have reached the top spot in the App Store this year, undermining Musk’s argument that only OpenAI benefits from Apple’s system.

The dispute comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of Apple’s App Store dominance. Earlier in 2024, the EU fined Apple €500 million ($581 million) for anti-competitive practices, ruling that the company’s restrictions prevented app developers from directing users outside the App Store ecosystem.

Musk’s challenge may add further pressure to global regulators already investigating Apple’s control over app distribution and its partnerships with AI companies.

Abu Dhabi’s MGX Eyes Up to $25 Billion for AI Investments

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Abu Dhabi-based investment group MGX is exploring plans to raise as much as $25 billion from third-party investors to expand its artificial intelligence portfolio, Bloomberg News reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. The group, already backed by Mubadala Investment Co and AI firm G42, would retain these as its main supporters while seeking additional funding from both domestic and international financial and strategic investors.

MGX, chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan — the UAE’s national security adviser and brother of President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed — has existing stakes in OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI. The potential fundraising aims to accelerate its role in the global AI race. No final decision on the plan has yet been made.

The news follows reports from the Financial Times that French AI startup Mistral is in talks with MGX and other investors to secure $1 billion in funding at a $10 billion valuation, further highlighting the UAE’s growing influence in AI investments.

Musk’s xAI Eyes $170-$200 Billion Valuation in Upcoming Funding Round, Financial Times Reports

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Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is reportedly preparing to raise additional capital in a funding round that could value the firm between $170 billion and $200 billion, according to the Financial Times, citing sources close to the discussions. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is expected to play a significant role in the round, holding an indirect stake in xAI through its investment in Kingdom Holdings Company, which has put $800 million into the AI startup.

The discussions are still preliminary, and details may evolve, the report noted. Musk himself responded on X, stating that xAI is not currently seeking funding and has sufficient capital. PIF did not immediately comment on the report.

Previously, in June, Morgan Stanley disclosed that xAI completed a $5 billion debt raise along with a separate $5 billion strategic equity investment. The company is aggressively expanding its AI infrastructure with new data centers amid increasing competition in the sector.

xAI acquired X (formerly Twitter) in March, valuing the AI firm at $80 billion and X at $33 billion. Musk founded xAI in July 2023 to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which recently announced plans to raise up to $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation.

According to projections shared by Morgan Stanley, xAI expects to generate over $13 billion in annual earnings by 2029 and anticipates $1 billion in gross revenue by the end of this year. The company also plans to invest $18 billion in data center expansion going forward.