AI NewsHow Apple’s big lawsuit could disrupt OpenAI’s IPO plans

How Apple’s big lawsuit could disrupt OpenAI’s IPO plans

12:44 AM IST · July 18, 2026

Loading the player… Applefiled a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAIlast Friday, and it’s not messing around. The complaint alleges a pattern of misconduct reaching all the way up to OpenAI’s chief hardware officer and claims more than 400 former Apple employees now work at the company.OpenAI’s response so farhas been carefully hedged, and the timing couldn’t be worse with the company reportedly eyeing an IPO as early as later this year. On this episode of TechCrunch’sEquitypodcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into what the lawsuit could mean for OpenAI’s own hardware ambitions and IPO timeline, plus a bigger theme running through the week’s news: how much should anyone trust AI companies with their data? Subscribe to Equity onYouTube,Apple Podcasts,Overcast,Spotifyand all the casts. You also can follow Equity onXandThreads, at @EquityPod.