From Klang To Silicon Valley: Apple Sues Malaysian-Born OpenAI Exec In High-Stakes Lawsuit

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A Malaysian-born executive is at the centre of a closely watched Silicon Valley lawsuit involving Apple and OpenAI: Tan Tang Yew

Unlike figures Jony Ive and Craig Federighi, who have been frequently been featured in Apple keynotes and product launch videos, Tan remains largely unknown to the public.

However, he had a distinguished career at one of the world's most valuable companies before leaving it in February 2024.

Tan spent nearly 24 years at the California-headquartered tech giant, holding senior roles involved in Apple's hardware development.

If you've used an iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods, chances are you've experienced Tan's engineering work firsthand.

Over two decades, he rose from a mechanical engineering graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to become Apple's vice president of product design.

In February 2024, he left Apple for io Products, a company he co-founded with former Apple design guru Jony Ive.

The startup was later acquired by OpenAI in July 2025.

However, it was not Tan's move to OpenAI that triggered Apple's lawsuit.

Instead, the company alleged that he went beyond ordinary talent poaching by misappropriating Apple's trade secrets.

According to Forbes, Tan allegedly asked candidates who were still working at Apple to bring "actual parts" from their jobs to interviews, including batteries, logic boards, and prototype components, for "show-and-tell" sessions.

He is also accused of encouraging interviewees to review confidential company information, including unreleased products, before attending interviews.

Apple also alleged that Tan forwarded supplier information to his personal email account before leaving the company.

Among Apple's most serious claims is that Tan prepared a checklist to help departing employees transfer sensitive information without triggering Apple's security measures, reported Gadgets Now.

OpenAI has denied the allegations, saying, "We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets."

Apple, meanwhile, is seeking a court order barring OpenAI from using any of its confidential materials and requiring the company to return them.

Following the lawsuit filed in a California court, Tan's background has come into focus

Many international news outlets have reported that Tan was born in Malaysia, while several social media users pointed to his LinkedIn profile, which lists SMK La Salle Klang, as the school where he studied.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Tan stated that he later completed his O- and A-Levels in Singapore before pursuing mechanical engineering at Imperial College London and a Master's degree at MIT.

Speaking to The Tech in October last year, Tan described himself as a "weird-sounding Malaysian kid" when he first sought a leadership position at Apple, highlighting his Malaysian roots.

While some critics have described Apple's lawsuit as an attempt to hinder OpenAI's hardware ambitions, it remains to be seen whether the AI company and Tan will be found liable for the alleged trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract.