Ex-Intel engineer Varun Gupta fined $34,472 for leaking internal information to Microsoft
Former Intel engineer Varun Gupta has been fined $34,472 and given two years’ probation for stealing confidential documents before joining Microsoft.
- Aug 18, 2025,
- Updated Aug 18, 2025 10:35 AM IST
A former Intel employee, Varun Gupta, has been sentenced to two years of probation and fined $34,472 after being found guilty of stealing and misusing confidential company documents during his time at Microsoft. The decision, handed down by US District Judge Amy Baggio, avoided prison time despite prosecutors pushing for an eight-month sentence.
Gupta, who worked at Intel for nearly a decade as a product marketing engineer, resigned in January 2020 to join Microsoft. In the days leading up to his departure, he copied almost 4,000 sensitive files, including pricing strategies, competitor analyses and client presentations. Court documents suggested these files were not only instrumental in helping him secure his new role but also gave Microsoft an advantage in negotiations with Intel.
The matter came to light when Intel employees noticed that Gupta, now representing Microsoft, appeared to have unusual insight into Intel’s operations. An internal probe, supported by Microsoft, confirmed that Gupta had transferred confidential material onto portable devices and his company laptop. Intel sued him in February 2021, leading to a confidential settlement in which Gupta paid around $40,000. Criminal charges followed in December 2024.
Assistant US Attorney William Narus described Gupta’s actions as deliberate and repeated, urging the court to impose a custodial sentence. However, Gupta’s lawyer, David Angeli, argued that his client had already suffered financially and professionally. He emphasised that Gupta had not shared the information with foreign entities or profited directly from it.
In her ruling, Judge Baggio acknowledged the seriousness of the offence but cited the collapse of Gupta’s career and loss of reputation as significant consequences. The fine of $34,472 was calculated to reflect the cost of the eight months of federal custody sought by prosecutors, serving as a deterrent.
With his technology career in ruins, Gupta has moved with his family to France, where he is studying vineyard management and hopes to start afresh in the wine industry.
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A former Intel employee, Varun Gupta, has been sentenced to two years of probation and fined $34,472 after being found guilty of stealing and misusing confidential company documents during his time at Microsoft. The decision, handed down by US District Judge Amy Baggio, avoided prison time despite prosecutors pushing for an eight-month sentence.
Gupta, who worked at Intel for nearly a decade as a product marketing engineer, resigned in January 2020 to join Microsoft. In the days leading up to his departure, he copied almost 4,000 sensitive files, including pricing strategies, competitor analyses and client presentations. Court documents suggested these files were not only instrumental in helping him secure his new role but also gave Microsoft an advantage in negotiations with Intel.
The matter came to light when Intel employees noticed that Gupta, now representing Microsoft, appeared to have unusual insight into Intel’s operations. An internal probe, supported by Microsoft, confirmed that Gupta had transferred confidential material onto portable devices and his company laptop. Intel sued him in February 2021, leading to a confidential settlement in which Gupta paid around $40,000. Criminal charges followed in December 2024.
Assistant US Attorney William Narus described Gupta’s actions as deliberate and repeated, urging the court to impose a custodial sentence. However, Gupta’s lawyer, David Angeli, argued that his client had already suffered financially and professionally. He emphasised that Gupta had not shared the information with foreign entities or profited directly from it.
In her ruling, Judge Baggio acknowledged the seriousness of the offence but cited the collapse of Gupta’s career and loss of reputation as significant consequences. The fine of $34,472 was calculated to reflect the cost of the eight months of federal custody sought by prosecutors, serving as a deterrent.
With his technology career in ruins, Gupta has moved with his family to France, where he is studying vineyard management and hopes to start afresh in the wine industry.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine