Core Viewpoint - Scale AI has filed a lawsuit against former employee Eugene Ling and his new company Mercor, alleging theft of confidential documents and attempts to poach key clients, amid a crisis of trust following a significant investment from Meta [1][12]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - Scale AI accuses Ling of illegally downloading over 100 confidential documents, including sensitive client information and business strategies, to his personal cloud storage [4]. - The lawsuit claims that Ling began promoting Mercor to Scale AI's important clients while still employed, indicating premeditated actions to benefit his new employer [3][4]. - Ling's compensation at Mercor includes a 20% commission on gross profits from clients he brings in, creating a financial incentive for his actions [3] Group 2: Company Responses - Scale AI's VP Tom Channick stated that Mercor has been uncooperative and has denied any wrongdoing regarding the alleged theft [6]. - Ling publicly acknowledged the lawsuit and admitted to having old files in his personal cloud but claimed there was no malicious intent [6][9]. - Mercor's co-founder Surya Midha denied using any of Scale AI's trade secrets and stated that they are investigating the situation [9][10]. Group 3: Industry Context - Scale AI is facing a client retention crisis, with major clients like Google and OpenAI reportedly reducing or terminating contracts due to concerns over its ties with Meta [12]. - Following a $14.3 billion investment from Meta, Scale AI's valuation soared to $29 billion, but this has raised concerns among its clients about data security [12]. - In contrast, Mercor has rapidly gained traction in the market, leveraging a unique business model that employs experts in specialized fields for data annotation, attracting high-profile clients [15].
估值2000亿元独角兽怒告前员工:窃取上百份文件,策反数百万美元客户!公司面临更大危机
Mei Ri Jing Ji Xin Wen·2025-09-06 14:26