The talent war between OpenAI and Apple has escalated to the point where Apple reportedly canceled an annual China offsite for its manufacturing team.
The Numbers:
- 24+ Apple employees hired by OpenAI in 2025 alone
- Up from ~10 in 2024
- Virtually none in 2023
- Compensation packages include $1M+ stock grants
The Talent Categories:
- Hardware engineering
- Design
- User interfaces
- Wearables
- Cameras
- Audio
Apple’s Response:
Apple reportedly canceled its annual China offsite for the manufacturing team, concerned about keeping executives away from headquarters “at a time when they were needed to prevent further defections to OpenAI.”
The Supply Chain Play:
OpenAI is in discussions with:
- Luxshare — iPhone assembler
- Goertek — AirPods manufacturer
OpenAI isn’t just hiring Apple’s people — it’s building relationships with Apple’s suppliers.
This is part of a comprehensive analysis. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.









