Musk’s xAI Sues OpenAI and Apple, Alleges Conspiracy to Control AI and Smartphones

Today’s ESG Updates

• Musk Takes Apple and OpenAI to Court: Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI claims the companies struck an unlawful deal to dominate chatbots and smartphones, seeking billions in damages and targeting Apple’s flagship AI partnership.
• M&S Joins Resale Boom With eBay Store: Customers donating clothes to Oxfam can earn £5 vouchers, while preloved items get repaired, resold, or recycled responsibly.
• Dr Pepper Buys Peet’s in $18B Deal: Keurig Dr Pepper will split into separate coffee and cold drinks companies as tariffs and consumer pullbacks shake the coffee industry.
• India’s Data Center Industry Grows Fast, Faces Sustainability Risks: Sector capacity is set to rise 66% by 2026, but soaring energy and water use demands urgent green solutions.

Musk Sues OpenAI and Apple

Elon Musk’s xAI has launched a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI, accusing them of forming an illegal agreement to dominate the smartphone and AI chatbot markets. Filed in Texas, the case challenges Apple’s decision to integrate OpenAI’s technology into its operating systems — a deal Musk argues locked out rivals like his own Grok chatbot. The lawsuit seeks to undo the partnership and recover billions in damages. OpenAI rejected the accusations, calling the move part of Musk’s campaign of harassment, while Apple has not yet commented. The case adds fuel to the long-running feud between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, his former co-founder. With OpenAI’s valuation climbing toward $500B — eclipsing Musk’s SpaceX — the dispute is now both personal and about who will control the future of AI.

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Further reading:  Musk’s AI startup sues OpenAI and Apple over anticompetitive conduct

Marks & Spencer Launches Secondhand Clothing Store on eBay

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is opening a secondhand clothing store on eBay as part of its “Another Life” recycling scheme. Customers who donate clothes to Oxfam with at least one M&S item will receive a £5 voucher for purchases over £35 in-store or online. Donations are sent via free courier to Reskinned, which cleans, repairs, and resells the best pieces through the M&S eBay shop. Unsellable items are repurposed or recycled. Oxfam will take 15% of profits from the eBay sales, while the rest is split between M&S, eBay, and Reskinned. M&S says the move will help reduce waste and give clothes “another life,” tapping into booming demand for secondhand fashion. With resale platforms like Depop and Vinted reporting record growth, M&S is testing whether resale could expand to its own stores or website.

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Further reading: Marks & Spencer to open secondhand clothing store on eBay

Dr Pepper Buys Peet’s Owner in $18B Deal, Plans Split Into Two Companies

Keurig Dr Pepper announced an $18 billion deal to buy JDE Peet’s, owner of Peet’s Coffee, Douwe Egberts, and Kenco, while also revealing plans to split into two companies. One will focus on coffee, with about $16B in sales, while the other will handle cold beverages like Snapple, Dr Pepper, and 7UP, with around $11B in sales. The restructuring essentially unwinds the 2018 Keurig-Dr Pepper merger. CEO Tim Cofer called it a “transformational moment,” saying separate businesses can better navigate growth and capital allocation. The move comes as the coffee industry faces headwinds: U.S. tariffs on Brazilian coffee imports have sent prices soaring, and chains like Starbucks have reported six straight quarters of falling sales. Shares of Keurig Dr Pepper dropped 9% following the announcement.

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Further reading: Dr Pepper buys Peet’s owner in $18bn deal amid coffee industry tariff turmoil

India’s Data Centre Industry Faces Rapid Growth, Rising Costs, and Sustainability Test

India’s data centre industry is booming, attracting $6.5B in investments and expanding to 153 centres with 1,263 MW capacity by mid-2025. Capacity is projected to grow another 66% by 2026, making India one of Asia’s fastest-growing digital hubs. But this rapid growth raises sustainability concerns: data centres could consume 3% of India’s electricity by 2030 and require hundreds of billions of litres of water annually, especially as AI workloads surge. The government is revisiting its National Data Centre Policy, offering incentives for domestic manufacturing, approvals, and green technologies. Innovations like liquid cooling and AI-driven energy management can cut resource use by up to 40% while lowering costs. With the sector valued at $10B, experts say India can become a global model if it balances expansion with renewable energy, efficient cooling, and stronger ESG practices.

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Further reading: India’s Data Centre Industry: Powering Growth Sustainably?

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the cover photo: X com 3d Icon Concept. Dark Mode Style.  Cover Photo Credit: Alexander Shatov