The former Intel engineer, who stole “thousands of files” from his former employer, escaped prison, but could not escape the headlines. Varun Gupta, who left the chip giant to join Microsoft in early 2020, served two years of probation and a fine of $34,472 (approximately Rs 30,21,510).
According to Oregon Live, Gupta spent the last few days at Intel, quietly copying sensitive information from the company's systems. Among the materials he left was a PowerPoint presentation that outlined Intel's pricing strategies for key clients.
The report highlighted that Gupta was a product marketing engineer and worked for Intel for 10 years before resigning in January 2020. A few days later, he was ranked Microsoft. Court documents revealed that the files he obtained were “instrumental” in both the later discussion between the two high-tech titans to land his new posts.
Advisor William Narus, a US lawyer who indicted the case, argued that Gupta's actions were cautious and repeated. He urged the judge to impose eight months on federal prisons, stressing that Gupta had “deliberate and repeatedly accessed secret documents” to strengthen his position.
Defense painted another picture. Gupta's lawyer, David Angeli, admitted that the theft was a “serious error in judgment,” but argued that his client had already paid a great price. Gupta lost the senior industry role he once had, and previously settled civil lawsuits with Intel to a $40,000 thrust.
Angeli insisted that it was a punishment sufficient.
Ultimately, US District Judge Amy Baguio settled somewhere in the middle. While refusing to send Gupta to prison, she did not underestimate him. The $34,472 fine was not drawn from the thin air, but was calculated to reflect the eight-month cost of federal incarceration promoted by prosecutors.
Baguio explained that the unusual person highlighted the seriousness of Gupta's misconduct, indicating that the court did not consider it “one-time indiscretion.” However, she also noted that Gupta's reputation has already been dragged into the mud.
Now, Gupta is turning his back on the semiconductor world because of the incident behind him. He paid the full fine and moved to France with his family. Instead of fighting over chips and contracts, he trades his servers for soil.
According to reports, Gupta is currently studying Vineyard Management and plans to reinvent himself in the wine industry. His ambition? Become a technical director of vine cultivation.
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