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Elon Musk Meets Tim Cook, Says Apple Never Considered Removing Twitter App

Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
  • Twitter owner Elon Musk said he went to Apple's 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 tweet storm accusing Apple of threatening to pull the Twitter app from the App Store.
  • "Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store," Musk tweeted.

Twitter owner Elon Musk said he went to Apple's 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 tweet storm accusing Apple of threatening to pull the Twitter app from the App Store and posted then deleted a meme that suggested he would rather "go to war" 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," Musk tweeted. "Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so."

In another tweet, Musk posted a short video of a reflecting pool at the center of Apple Park in Cupertino, California.

On Monday, Musk posted several tweets criticizing Apple and arguing that its App Store moderation policies were against the spirit of free speech, a complaint subsequently echoed by Republican lawmakers. Over the weekend, he mused that he may make his own smartphone.

Musk also chafed against Apple's fees, which take between 15% and 30% of digital sales through apps on iPhones. Apple stands to make money from 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 their App Store?" Musk tweeted on Monday. He also tagged 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.

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