Apple Likely Left Jony Ive Out of Its OpenAI Lawsuit on Purpose - MacRumors

What the report says

MacRumors, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, reported that Apple appears to have intentionally avoided naming former design chief Jony Ive in its trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI. The July 20, 2026 report says Apple’s complaint refers more generally to unnamed “former Apple leaders,” even though Ive is connected to OpenAI’s hardware efforts through LoveFrom and OpenAI’s acquisition of his startup io Products for a reported $6.5 billion.

According to the report, Apple’s claims focus instead on Tang Tan, a former iPhone executive who is now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer. Apple alleges Tan encouraged recruits to evade security protocols and bring Apple hardware to interviews for demonstration-style sessions. Gurman said one reason Ive may have been omitted is that Apple may not have evidence tying him closely to the recruiting or engineering conduct described in the lawsuit.

MacRumors also summarized Gurman’s view that Apple’s relationship with Laurene Powell Jobs may have shaped the decision. Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’ widow, is described as close to Ive, an investor in io Products and a supporter of LoveFrom. Gurman suggested Apple may have wanted to avoid straining ties with someone who remains influential in Apple circles; he pointed to her front-row presence at Apple’s June Worldwide Developers Conference alongside Tim Cook and John Ternus as a sign of that standing.

The report frames the decision as strategically important because Ive remains one of Apple’s best-known former executives, while Tan has a lower public profile. Naming Ive could have shifted attention from trade-secret claims to Apple’s history with a celebrated designer. MacRumors noted that more than 400 former Apple employees reportedly work at OpenAI, whose first hardware product is expected to be a portable smart speaker.