Business • Jun 12, 2025

Tesla accuses former engineer of stealing trade secrets

Tesla is taking legal action against Zhongjie "Jay" Li, a former engineer from its Optimus robot team. The company says Li took sensitive files before leaving in September 2024 and then launched his own startup, Proception, which makes robot hands that look a lot like Tesla's.

TL;DR

Tesla wants the court to stop Li from using their tech

Tesla claims Li used their trade secrets to build Proception's tech and wants the court to stop him from using any of it. They're also asking for damages. The case is currently playing out in San Francisco, shining a light on just how much time and money Tesla has poured into developing the Optimus project.