Elon Musk meets Tim Cook, says Apple never considered removing Twitter app
An aerial photo of Apple Park is seen in Cupertino, California, United States on October 28, 2021.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Twitter owner Elon Musk said he went to Apple headquarters and met with Apple CEO Tim Cook in tweets on Wednesday.
The meeting marks a significant de-escalation days after Musk went on a tweetstorm, accusing Apple of threatening to pull the Twitter app from the App Store and then posting a deleted meme suggesting he would rather “go to war”[ads1]; than pay Apple’s 30% platform fees.
“Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store,” tweeted Musk. “Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing that.”
In another tweet, Musk posted a short video of a reflecting pool in the center of Apple Park in Cupertino, California.
On Monday, Musk posted several tweets criticizing Apple and arguing that the App Store’s moderation policy violated free speech, a complaint later echoed by Republican lawmakers. At the weekend he pondered that he can make his own smartphone.
Musk also railed against Apple’s fees, which take between 15% and 30% of digital sales through apps on the iPhone. Apple stands to monetize Twitter if Musk succeeds in his plan to significantly expand Twitter subscription revenue, and those features are sold through the Twitter iPhone app.
“Did you know Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through the App Store?” Musk tweeted Monday. He also flagged Cook’s Twitter account on Monday and asked what was going on with a potential suspension of the Twitter app.
Apple representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
