Musk drops Apple from antitrust suit but keeps claims against OpenAI

Elon Musk has resolved his antitrust claims against Apple over its integration of ChatGPT into iPhone features and agreed not to revive them, according to a court filing reported by Ars Technica.

The filing does not disclose settlement terms or explain why Apple was removed from the litigation. Musk’s claims against OpenAI remain active, with the narrowed case expected to proceed to trial this autumn.

Musk sued Apple and OpenAI in August 2025, alleging that their arrangement breached United States and Texas antitrust laws and harmed competition in smartphone and chatbot markets. Apple has maintained that the arrangement was not exclusive.

The continuing claims allege that OpenAI used the Apple arrangement to monopolise the chatbot market. OpenAI denies antitrust violations and has described Musk’s lawsuit as an attempt to harass the company as his rival AI business, now called SpaceXAI, seeks to catch up.

Apple and OpenAI previously sought to have the case dismissed, but US District Judge Mark Pittman rejected those motions in November. A court also ordered Apple this summer to provide Musk’s companies with internal messages about the ChatGPT deal.

The reason for Musk’s decision to drop Apple remains unclear. The filing does not establish whether the parties reached a negotiated settlement, while the precise timetable for the expected trial has not been provided.