The man who helped build the iPhone is now stealing Apple staff for OpenAI

OpenAI is aggressively recruiting Apple employees and partnering with the iPhone maker’s key suppliers as it prepares to launch its first consumer hardware devices by late 2026, according to a report from The Information. At least 25 former Apple employees have joined OpenAI in 2025 alone, including senior figures from design, manufacturing, and engineering teams. The ChatGPT creator has also secured a manufacturing contract with Luxshare, Apple’s major iPhone and AirPods assembler, and approached Goertek, which produces components for AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches.