The lawsuit filed by Elon Musk did not come out of the blue; it was foreshadowed by a sharp and very public retort from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The recent exchange between the two tech moguls on social media provided a clear preview of the arguments and animosity that now define the formal legal complaint.
The spat began with Musk threatening to sue, accusing Apple of rigging its App Store to favor OpenAI. Altman’s response was a masterclass in deflection and counter-accusation. He posted, “This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself… and harm his competitors.”
This comment effectively predicted OpenAI’s defense strategy: to paint Musk as a hypocrite who is himself guilty of the anticompetitive behavior he alleges in others. It also framed Musk’s motives as personal and vindictive, a theme that carried directly into OpenAI’s official response to the lawsuit, which called the filing “harassment.”
The public exchange revealed that the battle lines were already drawn. Musk’s lawsuit simply moved the fight from the chaotic arena of social media to the structured environment of a federal court. Altman’s retort was the opening salvo in a defense that will likely be as aggressive and personal as Musk’s own attacks.