Elon Musk vowed to personally approach Apple CEO Tim Cook in hopes of getting the iPhone maker to reduce the 30% “hidden tax” that it levies on app developers who charge money through the App Store.
The Tesla mogul who recently rebranded the social media platform once often known as Twitter as X is once more chafing on the notorious surcharge imposed by Apple.
“Apple does take 30%, but I’ll speak with @tim_cook and see if that will be adjusted to be just 30% of what 𝕏 keeps so as to maximize what creators receive,” Musk wrote on his X account on Wednesday.
The Post has sought comment from Apple.
Musk on Wednesday urged X users to “please subscribe to as many creators on this platform as you discover interesting.”
“People from every corner of the world post incredible content on 𝕏, but often live in tough circumstances, where even a couple of hundred dollars a month changes their life,” Musk wrote within the post.
![Elon Musk, the tech mogul who runs Tesla and X, wants a face-to-face meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/NYPICHPDPICT000017966711.jpg?w=1024)
Musk announced that the social media platform would incentivize creators to charge users for subscriptions.
“While we had previously said that 𝕏 would keep nothing for the 12 months, then 10%, we’re amending that policy to 𝕏 keeps nothing endlessly, until payout exceeds $100k, then 10%,” Musk wrote.
“First 12 months remains to be free for all.”
Last 12 months, Musk complained about Apple’s “hidden 30% tax on the Web” — citing it as the rationale for delaying the rollout of the subscription service known on the time as “Twitter Blue.”
Musk posted a meme suggesting he was willing to “go to war” with Apple reasonably than paying the commission.
“Apple’s store is like having a 30% tax on the Web,” Musk said.
Musk added that the App Store fee was “literally 10 times higher than it ought to be.”
![Musk is once again complaining about Apple's 30%](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/NYPICHPDPICT000017743748.jpg?w=1024)
Tech executives have long criticized Apple over the 30% fee – which applies to paid downloads and other purchases for developers earning $1 million or more in annual revenue through the shop.
In June 2021, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg criticized Apple in a blog post — insisting that Facebook wouldn’t charge creators for work posted on the social media platform through 2023.
“Once we do introduce a revenue share, it should be lower than the 30 percent that Apple and others take,” Zuckerberg said.
![Apple is the subject of a Department of Justice antitrust investigation related to its App Store policies.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/NYPICHPDPICT000017741154.jpg?w=1024)
In November, Musk and Cook met after the previous accused the latter of threatening to block Twitter from the App Store.
“Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so,” Musk tweeted, saying that the dustup was the results of a misunderstanding.
In February, the Department of Justice ramped up its antitrust investigation into Apple over alleged anti-competitive practices related to the App Store.
![Elon Musk wants to incentivize content creators on X to start charging users a subscription fee.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/NYPICHPDPICT000015158068.jpg?w=1024)
Federal investigators are reportedly exploring Apple’s policies toward third-party apps on its devices and whether its IOS operating system favors its own software products over those developed by other firms.