Apple filed new court evidence on Monday, August 31, 2026, alleging that former engineer Chang Liu used a stolen Apple circuit schematic in his work at OpenAI and directed a colleague to destroy evidence once he learned Apple was investigating him. The filing is the latest escalation in Apple's trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, first filed in July, and comes from an early forensic review of a MacBook that Liu's attorneys only recently handed over.

The reporting here draws on TechCrunch's original coverage by Amanda Silberling, the underlying court filing itself, and corroborating reports from Bloomberg, 9to5Mac, MacRumors, Engadget, and AppleInsider, all of which reviewed the same document Apple submitted in the Northern District of California. Apple is using this new evidence to push for expedited discovery and a preliminary injunction that would block OpenAI from working on hardware built on Apple's technology while the case proceeds.

It's worth being precise about what's actually established here versus what's alleged. Everything in this article describing Liu's or OpenAI's conduct comes from Apple's court filing, a document written by one side in active litigation to persuade a judge. OpenAI disputes Apple's characterization and has moved to have the underlying lawsuit dismissed entirely.

What Apple's New Filing Actually Says

Apple identifies that colleague as Yu-Ting Peng. Apple's filing argues the MacBook evidence proves the company isn't running a "fishing expedition," in the filing's own words, but has identified active, ongoing use of its trade secrets alongside active evidence destruction. Apple is asking the court to fast-track discovery, including early depositions of OpenAI executives, warning that further delay could let more evidence disappear.

The Background: A Lawsuit That's Been Escalating Since July

Apple first sued OpenAI in July 2026, accusing former employees of stealing trade secrets for the company's benefit as OpenAI builds out a hardware business. Liu, a former senior system electrical engineer at Apple who left for OpenAI in January 2026, is one of the named defendants; Tang Tan, OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer and a 24-year Apple veteran before his departure, is also named in the case. Apple's original complaint states that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, though the lawsuit itself concerns a much smaller group.

Apple has separately claimed that Liu retained access to Apple's systems after leaving because he "exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication bug," a characterization OpenAI disputes.

OpenAI's Defense

OpenAI has pushed back on Apple's framing at every stage. In a blog post published earlier this month, OpenAI said Liu accessed Apple files only after leaving the company, to help former colleagues who'd asked for his assistance, and argued that Apple's own failure to revoke system access when employees depart, what OpenAI calls "residual access," is the real issue. OpenAI has published excerpts of Liu's text messages, including ones with "crying laughing" emojis, as part of that defense, and has since called the broader dispute "a mess of Apple's own making" in its most recent filing. OpenAI has also moved to dismiss Apple's lawsuit outright, calling the underlying allegations meritless, and has argued in court filings that employees are free to leave one company for another.

OpenAI had not responded to TechCrunch's request for comment on the specific new MacBook allegations as of this writing.

Why It Matters

Set aside who's right for a moment. The mechanism here, a company suing former employees and their new employer over trade secrets, then using forensic device analysis to build an evidence-destruction claim, is a well-worn corporate litigation playbook, not a novel one. What makes this instance notable is scale and timing: Apple is building its case around a company it says has hired more than 400 of its former employees while entering the hardware market Apple has dominated for over a decade, and doing so at a moment when Apple itself is mid-transition, with John Ternus taking over as CEO from Tim Cook this week.

The evidence-destruction allegation, if it holds up, is the more consequential piece procedurally. Courts take spoliation claims seriously because they go to whether a fair fact-finding process is even possible, which is exactly the argument Apple is using to justify expedited discovery rather than the normal, slower timeline. But it's also worth flagging plainly: this is Apple's own characterization of a redacted filing, and the underlying "shocking evidence" itself has not been made public. Nothing here has been tested by cross-examination or ruled on by a judge.

What to Watch

Watch for the court's ruling on Apple's request for expedited discovery and a preliminary injunction, since that decision will determine how quickly (or whether) the redacted evidence becomes public and how fast OpenAI's hardware work could be constrained mid-case. Also watch for OpenAI's formal response to these specific MacBook allegations, since its past pattern has been to counter with its own documentation, like the text messages it's already published, rather than let Apple's filings stand unanswered.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple filed new court evidence on August 31, 2026 alleging former engineer Chang Liu used a stolen Apple circuit schematic at OpenAI and directed a colleague, Yu-Ting Peng, to destroy evidence once he learned of Apple's investigation.
  • These are allegations in an active, unresolved lawsuit; OpenAI disputes Apple's characterization, has moved to dismiss the case, and has called the dispute 'a mess of Apple's own making.'
  • The lawsuit, filed in July 2026, also names Tang Tan, OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer and a 24-year Apple veteran; Apple's complaint states more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.
  • Apple is seeking expedited discovery and a preliminary injunction to block OpenAI from working on hardware based on Apple's technology while the case proceeds; no ruling has been issued.

FAQ

Why are Apple shares falling?

As of the article's publication on September 1, 2026, this isn't accurate. Apple stock was actually trading higher that day, up over 2%, as John Ternus officially became Apple's CEO, succeeding Tim Cook, who moves to executive chairman. This lawsuit against OpenAI has been unfolding for months without triggering a notable drop in Apple's share price. Stock prices change daily for many reasons, and this specific news event about litigation isn't what's driving the stock either way.

How much would I have made if I invested $10,000 in Apple stock 10 years ago?

This isn't related to the OpenAI lawsuit, but here's the factual answer: Forbes calculated that $10,000 invested in Apple stock on August 21, 2015 would have grown to roughly $101,430 by August 22, 2025, with dividends reinvested, or about $89,144 without dividend reinvestment factored differently, versus roughly $37,284 for the same investment in the S&P 500 over the same period. With Apple trading higher now than it was a year ago, a purchase made in September 2016 and held through September 2026 would likely show a similar or somewhat larger gain, though the exact figure depends on the precise purchase date. This is historical information, not investment advice, and this article isn't a substitute for a financial advisor.

What does Jim Cramer say about Apple stock?

Unrelated to this lawsuit, but for context: Cramer has generally remained bullish on Apple through 2026 despite pressure from memory chip shortages and rising component costs. Responding to a bearish call on the stock in mid-July 2026, he said plainly, "I like Apple here," dismissing concerns he considered speculative. He's also defended Tim Cook's tenure and framed Apple's AI strategy, built around a partnership that brings Google's Gemini to the iPhone, as underappreciated by critics who compare Apple's approach unfavorably to competitors building their own models.

Who are the named defendants in Apple's trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI?

Apple's lawsuit names former Apple engineer Chang Liu and Tang Tan, OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer, who spent 24 years at Apple before joining OpenAI. Apple's complaint states that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI overall, though the lawsuit's specific allegations focus on a much smaller number of individuals, including Liu and an OpenAI colleague, Yu-Ting Peng, whom Apple alleges helped destroy evidence.