OpenAI buying Apple former design lead Jony Ive’s startup for $6.5 billion
Jony Ive, Apple’s former design lead of 27 years, is heading to OpenAI. Ive was responsible for some of Apple’s most iconic product designs, including the iPod, iMac, and the iPhone, and had a close relationship with Steve Jobs.
OpenAI will be buying io, Ive’s AI device startup, in a $6.5 billion deal — the largest in OpenAI’s history. The startup “will provide the company with a dedicated unit for developing AI-powered devices,” Bloomberg reports.
In a post on OpenAI’s website announcing the deal, CEO Sam Altman wrote:
“What it means to use technology can change in a profound way. I hope we can bring some of the delight, wonder and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago.”
The first devices are expected to debut in 2026.
In a post on OpenAI’s website announcing the deal, CEO Sam Altman wrote:
“What it means to use technology can change in a profound way. I hope we can bring some of the delight, wonder and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago.”
The first devices are expected to debut in 2026.
