Uber: Ex-CEO knew engineer had files allegedly from Google

Former Uber Technologies Inc. chief executive Travis Kalanick knew an engineer allegedly had stolen Google files before hiring the engineer last year, according to Uber’s attorneys.

It is the first evidence that Uber executives were aware of the files of selfdriving technology that are at the center of a lawsuit between Uber and Google parent Alphabet Inc.

However, Uber attorneys said, when Kalanick learned of the files in March 2016, he instructed the engineer to not bring them to Uber. That engineer, former Google executive Anthony Levandowski, later told Uber he destroyed the files before Uber bought his startup for $680 million in August 2016 and he was appointed to lead Uber’s selfdriving team, they said.

The revelation came in court documents filed late Wednesday, shedding new light on what Uber executives knew about the allegedly stolen files and when.

Alphabet’s driverless-car unit Waymo “has been making up a story that Uber asked Levandowski to bring material over [from] Google, when the truth is the exact opposite,” Uber lead attorney Arturo Gonzalez said. “This new development proves Uber never wanted any Google info.”

Waymo said in a statement, “The evidence clearly shows Waymo’s trade secrets have been used in Uber’s self-driving car project. By their own admission, Uber leadership knew about these unlawful acts and far from doing the right thing, they tried to conceal it.”

In the filing, Waymo argued the new details showed Uber violated an earlier court order to turn over any information about the deletion of the allegedly stolen files. Gonzalez said he planned to fight that allegation.

Waymo has accused Uber of colluding with Levandowski to steal trade secrets from Google and incorporate them into Uber’s driverless-car technology. Uber denies the allegations. Attorneys for Levandowski, who was fired by Uber last month for not cooperating in the lawsuit, didn’t respond to a request for comment.