A US Federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) and his AI company xAI against tech giants Apple and OpenAI must remain in Fort Worth, Texas. In a sharply worded four-page order issued this week, US District Judge Mark Pittman sarcastically encouraged the companies to relocate their headquarters to Fort Worth, highlighting the questionable choice of venue.The lawsuit, filed in August, accuses Apple and OpenAI of engaging in an “anticompetitive scheme” to maintain monopolies in the artificial intelligence market. X and xAI, both owned by Musk, chose to file the case in the Fort Worth division of the U.S. Northern District of Texas, a court known for attracting plaintiffs seeking favorable rulings from its two Republican-appointed judges. Judge Pittman, appointed by President Donald Trump, took aim at this practice, known as forum-shopping. In a footnote, he directed the companies to the City of Fort Worth’s Business Services website “to get the process started” on relocating their headquarters. Pittman noted that the Fort Worth division’s docket is two to three times busier than that of the nearby Dallas division, which has more judges. He also pointed out that neither Apple nor OpenAI has significant ties to Fort Worth, beyond a few Apple retail stores.“And, of course, under that logic, there is not a district and division in the entire United States that would not be an appropriate venue for this lawsuit,” Pittman wrote, underscoring the tenuous connection to the chosen venue.The ruling marks another chapter in Elon Musk’s legal battles, with Twitter and his electric vehicle company Tesla having previously filed lawsuits in the same Fort Worth court. Pittman’s order reflects growing judicial scrutiny of strategic venue selection in high-profile cases. The lawsuit will proceed in Fort Worth, where the outcome could have significant implications for competition in the AI industry.

What Judge said to Apple and OpenAI on moving headquarters to Texas

“Given the present desire to have venue in Fort Worth, the numerous high-stakes lawsuits previously adjudicated in the Fort Worth Division, and the vitality of Fort Worth, the Court highly encourages the Parties to consider moving their headquarters to Fort Worth. Fort Worth has much more going for it than just the unique artwork on the fourth floor of its historic federal courthouse. Fort Worth has become one of the most vibrant and active cities and cultures in the United States in recent decades. One metric evincing this phenomenon is the significantly busier docket—two to three times busier—that the Forth Division manages compared to the Dallas Division. See Outsourcing Facilities Ass’n v. United States Food & Drug Admin., No. 4:24-cv-00953-P, 2025 WL 1782574, at *1 (N.D. Tex. Mar. 26, 2025). What’s more, the economic development taking place in Fort Worth has made it one of the most attractive locations for corporations and citizens in the country.1 See Cullen Donohue, Why Fort Worth Is the Next Big Player in DFW’s Office Market, D MAG. (Jan. 7, 2025, 11:00 a.m.), https://tinyurl.com/wvrw7y94 (“[Dallas] might need to look over its shoulder, because that city to the west is equally attractive and possesses an authenticity and gritty determination that is drawing attention from investors and executives alike.”) (“Fort Worth is the fastest-growing large city in the country … as of 2024.”). Stated another way, as the great Fort Worthian Amon Carter once asked the head of General Motors Corporation: Are you “going to continue carrying the meal in one end of the sack and the rock in the other merely because it has been a habit in the past? Or, will you go with the tide and move to Fort Worth, thereby taking advantage of the large investment you have here, and, at the same time, be closer to the territory in Texas which is showing the greatest growth and development?” BRIAN A. CERVANTEZ, AMON CARTER: A LONE STAR LIFE 187 (Univ. of Okla. Press 2019). Over 70 years later, Amon Carter’s observation of Fort Worth continues to hold true. Whether it be the 20th or the 21st century, Fort Worth “show[s] the greatest growth and development.” And even though the choice of venue in Fort Worth is an unexpected choice, the Court nonetheless will permit this case to proceed in “The Unexpected City.”