X Corp and xAI (now SpaceXAI LLC) allege that Apple’s exclusive integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence and iPhone App Store rankings unlawfully forecloses rival AI chatbots like Grok, violating federal and Texas antitrust law. They seek billions in damages and injunctive relief in Fort Worth federal court, where Judge Pittman has denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss and transfer, and the case is heading to an October 2026 jury trial.
LATEST DEVELOPMENT · AUG 26, 2026
Elon Musk’s X and xAI allege that Apple’s exclusive integration of ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence and its App Store rankings lock rival chatbots such as Grok out of hundreds of millions of iPhones, and seek billions in damages. Judge Pittman denied Apple’s and OpenAI’s motions to dismiss and kept the case in Fort Worth, signaling it may be resolved on summary judgment, and set trial on the court’s four-week docket beginning October 19, 2026. On August 14, 2026, the caption was amended to reflect xAI’s renaming as SpaceXAI LLC, and on August 26, 2026 the court denied a press motion to unseal records.
BACKGROUND
Elon Musk’s X Corp and xAI (renamed SpaceXAI LLC in mid-2026) sued Apple and OpenAI in August 2025, accusing the companies of an unlawful agreement that locks rival AI chatbots such as Grok out of the iPhone. The complaint alleges that Apple’s decision to integrate ChatGPT as the exclusive default generative AI assistant inside Apple Intelligence, combined with App Store ranking practices that plaintiffs say disadvantage competing chatbot apps, violates Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act and the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act. Musk’s companies argue the arrangement forecloses competition in two markets at once, smartphones and AI chatbots, and seek billions of dollars in damages plus injunctive relief.
Apple and OpenAI moved to dismiss and to transfer venue out of Fort Worth, arguing the case belonged elsewhere and that the complaint failed to state a viable antitrust claim. Judge Mark T. Pittman rejected both efforts, keeping the case on his docket and, according to press accounts of the ruling, suggesting the companies could simply relocate operations to the district if venue was such a concern. He later denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss in full, allowing the antitrust claims to proceed toward discovery and eventually trial.
The case has since moved into contested discovery, with disputes over email production reaching into Musk’s other companies, SpaceX and Tesla, and over the scope of depositions the defendants have sought. A four-week jury trial is scheduled to begin October 19, 2026. In parallel, media outlets have sought access to sealed filings, a request Judge Pittman denied in late August 2026, and the caption was updated that same month to reflect xAI’s corporate rename to SpaceXAI LLC.
The dispute unfolds against a broader backdrop of litigation between Apple and OpenAI, including a separate trade-secret suit Apple filed against OpenAI in mid-2026, underscoring how quickly the commercial alliance underpinning Apple Intelligence has become a source of multi-front legal conflict.
TIMELINE
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OCT 19, 2026HEARINGTrial scheduled to beginThe court set a four-week jury trial to begin October 19, 2026, on the court’s docket in Fort Worth.
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AUG 26, 2026PROCEDURALCourt denies the Washington Free Beacon’s motion to intervene and unseal records
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AUG 14, 2026PROCEDURALCourt amends the caption to reflect xAI’s renaming as SpaceXAI LLC
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2026PROCEDURALX Corp opposes Apple and OpenAI deposition bidX Corp accused Apple and OpenAI of “opportunism” in seeking certain depositions as the case moved toward trial.
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2026PROCEDURALDiscovery dispute over Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla emailsA discovery fight over communications extended to Musk’s other companies, with an order requiring disclosure of some SpaceX and Tesla emails relevant to the OpenAI-Apple dispute.
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NOV 13, 2025JUDGMENTMotions to dismiss deniedJudge Pittman denied Apple’s and OpenAI’s motions to dismiss, allowing the antitrust claims to proceed toward discovery.
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OCT 19, 2025PROCEDURALJudge keeps the case in Fort WorthJudge Pittman denied a bid to transfer venue, ruling the case would stay in the Fort Worth division and reportedly suggesting the defendants could relocate operations to the district instead.
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SEP 30, 2025FILINGApple and OpenAI move to dismissApple and OpenAI filed motions to dismiss the antitrust complaint, arguing the claims were legally deficient.
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AUG 25, 2025FILINGX Corp. and xAI sue Apple and OpenAI for antitrust violations in Fort Worth