Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI has drawn sharp reactions from tech industry observers, with Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman pointing to the AI company’s growing friction with major technology partners and rival Elon Musk weighing in.
Newman Links Apple Lawsuit To OpenAI’s Growing Mag 7 Tensions
Reacting to Apple’s lawsuit filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Newman suggested OpenAI’s relationships with some of the world’s biggest technology companies are rapidly deteriorating.
“OpenAI burning it down with one Mag 7 after another. First $MSFT and now $AAPL,” Newman wrote on X.
OpenAI burning it down with one Mag 7 after another. First $MSFT and now $AAPL. 😮💨
— Daniel Newman (@danielnewmanUV) July 10, 2026
His remarks came as Apple accused OpenAI of misappropriating trade secrets to accelerate the development of consumer AI devices.
The complaint alleges former Apple engineer Chang Liu accessed Apple’s internal network without authorization after joining OpenAI and claims the company engaged in a broader pattern of recruiting Cupertino’s employees while obtaining confidential information related to unreleased technologies.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Newman’s comments also referenced reports earlier this week that Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) is replacing some OpenAI software with its in-house MAI models in applications including Word and Excel as it looks to reduce costs.
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Elon Musk Weighs In As Microsoft Relationship Also Faces Scrutiny
Musk also reacted to the lawsuit, replying “Sounds pretty bad” to a post highlighting allegations involving Liu.
Sounds pretty bad
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 11, 2026
In a separate response to news of Apple’s lawsuit, Musk simply posted, “!!”
Two months before Apple’s lawsuit, OpenAI secured a courtroom victory against Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Space Exploration Technologies Corp (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk.
A federal jury ruled that Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, filed his lawsuit too late after alleging that CEO Sam Altman, co-founder Greg Brockman and the company abandoned their original commitment to operate as a nonprofit.
Musk has said he plans to appeal.
Price Action: Apple shares closed Friday down 0.28% at $315.32 and slipped another 0.11% to $314.96 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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