Tesla sues ex-engineer for alleged theft of Optimus robotics trade secrets
Tesla sued former Optimus engineer Zhongjie \"Jay\" Li and his startup Proception Inc., alleging he downloaded confidential files about humanoid robot hands before leaving and founded a rival company that reportedly announced similar technology within months. Li worked on advanced robotic hand sensors for Tesla's secretive Optimus program between August 2022 and September 2024.
What happened
Tesla sued former engineer Zhongjie "Jay" Li in San Francisco Federal Court, alleging he downloaded Optimus-related files onto two personal smartphones in the weeks before his September 2024 departure. Less than a week after leaving Tesla, where he worked between August 2022 and September 2024, Li incorporated Proception Inc. Within five months, Proception publicly announced advanced humanoid robotic hands that Tesla alleged bear "a striking resemblance" to designs Li worked on at Tesla.
Reported impact
Tesla alleged that Li was entrusted with confidential information about advanced robotic hand sensors as part of the highly secretive Optimus program. The company identified the technical sophistication of humanoid robot hands as a major challenge in robotics development, noting that Optimus features hands with 22 degrees of freedom.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.