Apple sues OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft, omits Jony Ive from complaint

Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI accusing the AI firm of stealing trade secrets by hiring former Apple hardware leaders, particularly Tang Tan, a former senior iPhone manager now heading OpenAI’s hardware division. The 40‑page complaint details allegations that Tan instructed job candidates to bypass confidentiality rules and bring Apple hardware to interviews for demonstration purposes.

Although the suit mentions former Apple senior staff, it deliberately does not name Jony Ive, the iconic former chief design officer whose design studio LoveFrom is involved in OpenAI’s upcoming hardware projects after its $6.5 billion acquisition of Ive’s startup. Analysts attribute the omission to Ive’s close personal ties with Laurene Powell Jobs, a major investor and influential figure within Apple, suggesting Apple wanted to avoid damaging that relationship while pursuing the case.