OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has responded to Apple's trade secrets lawsuit and fresh criticism from Elon Musk, saying he has "tremendous respect" for Apple but is "not afraid" of the legal battle.

The latest exchange follows Apple's lawsuit accusing OpenAI of benefiting from confidential hardware information allegedly taken by two former Apple engineers now working on the company's consumer hardware initiatives. Reacting to the lawsuit on X, Musk called Altman "Scam Altman" and accused him of "taking scamming to a whole new level."

Why Apple Sued OpenAI

Apple's lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and former Apple employees Tang Tan and Chang Liu misappropriated confidential hardware designs and trade secrets linked to future Apple devices. According to the complaint, the information was used to support OpenAI's consumer hardware ambitions following its acquisition of io, the AI hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. Apple is seeking damages, the return of confidential material and a court order barring its use. OpenAI has denied the allegations, saying it has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets."

Altman responded after a user suggested he was more worried about Apple than Musk. He said he was "not afraid" of Apple and described the company as an "S-tier company" for which he has "tremendous respect."

The remarks come days after OpenAI launched its GPT-5.6 models. In a separate post on X, Altman also took a swipe at Musk, writing, "There are a lot of benchmarks that suggest 5.6 Sol is the best model in the world right now, but the most reliable way to tell is that Elon is obsessed with me again."

Apple's lawsuit alleges that former employees Tang Tan and Chang Liu misappropriated confidential hardware designs and trade secrets to support OpenAI's consumer hardware programme. The company is seeking damages and a court order to prevent the use of the disputed material. OpenAI has denied the allegations, saying it has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets."