Key facts
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed sadness over Apple's lawsuit against his company.
- Apple sued OpenAI in July, alleging theft of trade secrets by former Apple employees.
- OpenAI denies the allegations, stating it does not seek to acquire other companies' intellectual property.
- The lawsuit follows a period of partnership between Apple and OpenAI, including ChatGPT integration.
- Altman has a long-standing admiration for Apple and its products.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has voiced his disappointment regarding Apple's lawsuit against his company, describing himself as a "mega Apple fanboy" who was "very sad" about the legal action. Apple filed a lawsuit in July, accusing OpenAI of a "coordinated pattern of misconduct" to steal its closely guarded trade secrets. OpenAI has refuted these claims, asserting it has no interest in other companies' intellectual property.
Altman stated that upon first hearing about the suit, he believed it sounded "egregious" and that someone must have acted improperly. He emphasized OpenAI's lack of interest in acquiring proprietary information from other companies. The lawsuit's initial complaint, a 40-page document, names two former Apple employees, Chang Liu and Tang Tan, as defendants, alongside various corporate entities. It alleges that Liu and Tan took or retained confidential information upon leaving Apple and, in some instances, sought details about unannounced products from current Apple employees.
The legal dispute represents a significant shift from a previously collaborative relationship. In June 2024, Altman announced Apple's intention to integrate ChatGPT across its products. However, their cooperation has reportedly strained as OpenAI has expanded into the consumer market, a domain long dominated by Apple. Less than a year after speaking at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, Altman and Jony Ive revealed their collaboration, leading to OpenAI's acquisition of Ive's startup IO for approximately $6.5 billion.
As part of the legal proceedings, Apple has sought a preliminary injunction that could potentially impede OpenAI's product development plans. OpenAI has countered that Apple's actions are an attempt to delay OpenAI's hardware offerings due to fears of reduced demand for Apple's own products.
Altman's affinity for Apple is well-documented. He previously demoed his location-based social networking app, Loopt, at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in 2008, requiring approval from then-CEO Steve Jobs. Altman has referred to this experience as a "career highlight" and recalled growing up viewing Jobs as an iconic figure. His first computer was a Macintosh LC II, which he still owns. When announcing his partnership with Ive, Altman cited his desire to bring "some of the delight, wonder and creative spirit" he felt using an Apple computer 30 years prior. In November, he called the iPhone "the crowning achievement of consumer products."
Altman, who does not hold a stake in OpenAI, amassed his wealth primarily through investments in companies like Stripe and Reddit. He also shared a personal anecdote about his grandmother gifting him and his brother equal shares in companies she favored for their birthdays; Sam received Apple shares, which he still holds and labels as "Grandma's birthday Apple shares."