Apple Sues OpenAI for Trade Secrets, Then Emails Wrong Lawyer Twice
KEY POINTS
- •In July 2026, Apple sued OpenAI alleging theft of trade secrets by former employee Chang Liu and others.
- •OpenAI revealed Apple’s lawyers mistakenly emailed the wrong person due to confusing two Asian surnames.
- •Messages showed Liu helped former Apple colleagues with files after leaving on January 22, not stealing secrets.
In an epic Silicon Valley soap opera starring Apple and OpenAI, July brought a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of pilfering trade secrets through ‘institutional misconduct.’ Apple claimed former engineer Chang Liu exploited an authentication bug and OpenAI asked Apple staff to smuggle in secret hardware during job interviews. However, Apple’s outside counsel managed to email the follow-up to the wrong person by mixing up two Asian last names, proving even tech giants can't manage contact lists. Apple also falsely claimed they had a talk with OpenAI's general counsel — they didn’t. Meanwhile, Liu appears more like a helpful ex than a corporate spy, fielding file questions from Apple after his January 22 departure. This saga involves Jony Ive, AI, mix-ups, misunderstandings, and apparently, the rigors of spelling. Silicon Valley's finest bicker while everyone wonders who’s really running HR.
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(1 of 3)Apple accuses OpenAI of theft but can’t even email the right lawyer. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s ex-employee is just answering job exit questions like a good neighbor. Silicon Valley drama is the new soap opera, starring awkward email fails and talent poaching.
Introducing the new Silicon Valley sport: confusing two Asian names while launching billion-dollar lawsuits. Spoiler: the emails get lost, secrets stay secret-ish.
Apple’s plan to sue OpenAI for secrets backfired when their lawyer wrote the wrong email, proving paranoia doesn't improve communication skills.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 8/4/2026 | Author: Shubhangi Goel
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