Tesla Inc. (TSLA) and xAI CEO Elon Musk isn't happy about the AI partnership between Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) (GOOGL) announced Monday. In fact, he's calling it an unreasonable power grab.

Responding to an announcement from Google on X, Musk questioned whether the partnership gives Google too much influence, especially considering the company already controls the Android operating system and Chrome browser.

"This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that the[y] also have Android and Chrome," Musk wrote.

Why Musk Is Really Upset

The core issue here is that Google Gemini will now power a revamped, personalized Siri as part of Apple Intelligence. For Musk's AI company xAI and its chatbot Grok, this is basically a door slamming shut. Apple has now partnered with Musk's two biggest AI rivals—OpenAI and Google—leaving Grok completely shut out of the most lucrative hardware ecosystem on the planet.

This isn't the first time Musk has had beef with Apple's AI strategy. Back in August 2025, xAI filed a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI, accusing them of creating an AI monopoly that deliberately excludes competitors.

When Musk points to Google's dominance across Android, Chrome, and now potentially the iPhone through Gemini, he's essentially arguing that no competitor can realistically challenge this kind of platform control. It's hard to compete when your rival is embedded in every major operating system.

The Legal Context Actually Matters Here

Here's the thing: Musk's monopoly complaints aren't coming out of nowhere. Google is legally a confirmed monopolist, thanks to the landmark U.S. v. Google case. Let's break down what happened:

The Liability Ruling (August 2024): A federal judge ruled that Google violated the Sherman Act by maintaining a monopoly in general search. The court took particular issue with the multi-billion dollar deals—like the $20 billion Google paid Apple—that made Google the default search engine on Safari.

The Remedy Ruling (September 2025): The Department of Justice initially wanted to break Google up by forcing the sale of Chrome or Android. But the court went a different direction:

• No Breakup: The judge declined to force a divestiture of Chrome or Android, reasoning that the rise of AI was already changing the competitive landscape.
• Ban on Exclusivity: Google is now prohibited from paying for exclusive default status on any device.
• Data Sharing: Google must share its search index and user data with qualified competitors to level the playing field.

So Musk might be trying to use these legal findings to argue that the Apple-Gemini partnership is essentially a workaround—a way for Google to maintain the exact kind of dominance the courts just tried to curb.

His concerns about concentrated power do align with DOJ arguments. But it's also pretty clear that Musk's motivation involves the survival of xAI in a market that's increasingly being locked down by exclusive partnerships. When your competitors are getting cozy with the biggest hardware maker in the world, you're going to have something to say about it—especially if you can frame it as an antitrust issue.