X, SpaceXAI Drop Apple From Antitrust Suit, Press OpenAI Case

SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk's companies are sharpening their legal focus. X Corp and SpaceXAI filed on Monday to dismiss their antitrust claims against Apple in a Texas federal court, ending the Apple track of a lawsuit while keeping their case against OpenAI fully intact.

Narrowing the Fight

The original complaint, filed in August 2025 in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, alleged that Apple's integration of OpenAI's ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence, along with App Store practices, shut out rivals such as Grok. A judge let the case proceed after rejecting early dismissal bids late last year. Monday's filing releases Apple from the matter without a stated reason, and the companies confirmed they will continue pursuing OpenAI, according to CNBC's report on the dismissal.

For Musk's side, trimming Apple from the docket concentrates resources on the defendant it views as central to the dispute. Rather than litigate on two fronts, X and SpaceXAI can now direct their arguments at OpenAI's conduct, a cleaner path that supporters say reflects confidence in the core of the case.

Part of a Broader AI Push

The move fits a busy stretch for Musk's AI operations, now unified under the SpaceXAI banner after xAI was folded into the group. The company has been steadily strengthening Grok, from an aggressive model-upgrade cadence to Musk's public case for pacing the AI frontier with safety in mind. Legal clarity removes one distraction as the team pushes forward on that roadmap.

It also arrives alongside product momentum. Musk has been laying out xAI's model ladder in detail, including the timeline that runs through Grok 4.8 training toward Grok 5, and the company is showcasing its Grok Bot agents to enterprise users this week. Dropping the Apple claims lets the legal team keep pace with a business that is moving quickly on multiple fronts.

What Comes Next

Terms of any resolution with Apple were not disclosed, and the public record shows only a voluntary exit for that defendant. OpenAI, in a separate filing, said it was not party to any agreement and asked that any deal be disclosed because it could bear on the remaining claims. The practical upshot: the next chapter plays out on the OpenAI docket, not in a new Apple trial.

For observers tracking Musk's expanding AI empire, the message is one of focus. By clearing Apple from the board, X and SpaceXAI signal they intend to fight the battle they care most about — and to do it without the drag of a second front.