No former Apple executive is as well-known at OpenAI as Jony Ive – and yet he is conspicuously absent from Apple's lawsuit. The fact that the long-time chief designer is not accused is no oversight, but rather the result of several calculated strategies.
When Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on July 10, the allegations were directed at former design vice president Tang Tan and ex-engineer Chang Liu. However, the most prominent Apple departure to OpenAI is missing from the 40-page legal document: Jony Ive, Apple's chief designer for decades, is not directly accused even once. A recent report provides the reasons for this omission – and they range from practical to political.
Why Ive is left out
Ive heads hardware development at OpenAI and is considered the face of the AI company's device ambitions. However, the lawsuit names Tan as Chief Hardware Officer and Liu as a former systems engineer – not the designer himself. The document only refers generally to "former Apple executives," among whom Ive likely belongs, although his name is not mentioned.
Ive is the most prominent among the more than 400 former Apple employees who now work at OpenAI. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman sees two main reasons for this omission.
The practical reason: hardly any points of contact
The first reason is simple: Ive has little to do with the specific allegations. While Tan, as head of hardware, exercises operational control over device development and, according to the lawsuit, allegedly encouraged applicants to bring components and prototypes, Ive, according to Gurman, focuses on the product itself.
The designer reportedly had little to no involvement in recruitment, poaching, or day-to-day operations. The actions described in the lawsuit—from problematic emails to the deliberate use of internal Apple code names in job interviews—would therefore be attributed to Tan, not Ive.
The sensitive reason: the proximity to Laurene Powell Jobs
The second reason lies in image. Ive maintains a close relationship with Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs' widow, who, according to Gurman, remains closely connected to Apple and supports both Tim Cook and the designated CEO, John Ternus. Her appreciation carries weight for Apple – not least because Steve Jobs' return once saved the company.
Publicly attacking Ive would strain this relationship. Furthermore, there's the external impact: given Ive's pivotal role in the company's history, a direct accusation would likely garner him sympathy and Apple criticism – even accusations that the company harbors a personal grudge after the departure of its star designer.
The disruption of 2019 continues to have an effect
This departure is precisely what's being discussed. Ive left Apple in 2019, but remained on board as a consultant through his company LoveFrom until 2022. During this time, numerous Apple designers left the company to join Ive – a brain drain that was perhaps seen internally as a dismantling of the design team while their contracts were still in effect.
Later, Ive consolidated his hardware ambitions in the company io, which OpenAI acquired in 2025 for approximately $6.5 billion and which is now also among the defendants. The path from Apple to OpenAI thus leads directly through Ive – yet he will not face legal action.
What Apple's reticence reveals
By excluding Ive, Apple can continue to exert pressure on OpenAI's hardware plans without damaging its own reputation. Focusing on Tan keeps the allegations sharp, while the most prominent name remains untouched, and the debate is not directed toward Apple's own relationship with a design icon. Recently, Apple even expanded the lawsuit to include dozens more former employees – Ive was once again left out. The company has not yet explained why. (Image: Shutterstock / Ascannio)
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