Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and former executives Tang Tan and Chang Liu in July 2026. The legal action alleges a coordinated effort to steal confidential data related to product design, suppliers, and unreleased technologies.
Apple claims the stolen information directly benefits OpenAI’s expansion into the consumer hardware market. Current reports indicate that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.
The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI encouraged new recruits to share Apple’s proprietary information. One former employee specifically used an authentication bug to access Apple’s internal network after his departure.
Apple has issued legal letters to approximately 40 former employees currently at OpenAI. These individuals must preserve all documents relevant to the ongoing trade secret investigation.