Apple's lawsuit says OpenAI's theft of trade secrets ran 'at every level,' more than 400 ex-Apple staff now at OpenAI

1:00 PM · July 14, 2026

Apple's trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI, filed in federal court in Northern California and reported by Bloomberg and TechCrunch, alleges that the theft of its confidential information ran 'at every level, from members of its Technical Staff to its Chief Hardware Officer, and in coordination with business partners.' The filing discloses for the first time that more than 400 former Apple employees have joined OpenAI. Apple's central allegation involves OpenAI's hardware chief Tang Tan, a former Apple vice president, who the suit claims directed Apple employees interviewing at OpenAI to share Apple secrets and told candidates to bring 'actual parts' from Apple to their interviews for 'show and tell' sessions. Apple further alleges OpenAI coached departing employees on how to evade Apple's internal security processes when leaving, and that one former employee, Chang Liu, stole an Apple laptop on his way out. Apple is seeking damages, injunctions, and a court order forcing OpenAI to stop using its trade secrets. It's a stark reversal for two companies that entered a high-profile partnership in 2024, and it lands just as OpenAI's own hardware ambitions — reportedly a screenless, mobile AI companion device — are coming into focus. OpenAI has since said publicly that it is 'not aware of any evidence' the allegations have merit, without directly addressing the claims about Tan or the other named employees.