OpenAI and Apple legal battle escalates, poached employees warned about data deletion

Apple has reportedly sent legal letters to former staffers now working at OpenAI, warning them against deleting data that could be used in the brewing legal battle over OpenAI's alleged theft of company secrets. Sam Altman of OpenAI Apple filed a lawsuit in early July, 2026, arguing that OpenAI received trade secrets from its former employees. Former executives Tang Tan and Chang Liu were also named in the lawsuit.