Apple alleges former engineer stole trade secrets for OpenAI, tried to destroy evidence

Apple alleges that Chang Liu, a former senior Apple engineer who joined OpenAI in January 2026, kept an Apple-issued MacBook and used a confidential power-converter circuit schematic downloaded from Apple’s cloud in March 2026 to run LTspice simulations for OpenAI, with outputs later uploaded to his iCloud. The company contends Liu and others at OpenAI were aware of and exploited an authentication vulnerability to access and download sensitive engineering documents and unreleased product specs. New forensic findings also suggest Liu attempted to destroy evidence after Apple began investigating him, and that he used a development tool at OpenAI that mirrors an internal Apple application. Apple has framed this case within a broader hardware ambitions linked to OpenAI’s io Products deal, noting a sizable talent pipeline and a six-and-a-half-billion-dollar acquisition as context for alleged misappropriation. The filings emphasize the urgency of expedited discovery, including early depositions of key OpenAI personnel, to prevent further disclosure of confidential information. Tang Tan, another named individual, is accused of problematic recruitment practices, and Apple asserts a widespread pattern of trade-secret exfiltration involving hundreds of former Apple employees now at OpenAI or io Products.