An ex-Intel engineer who stole “thousands of files” from his former employer has escaped prison but won’t escape the headlines. After leaving the chip giant in early 2020 to join Microsoft, Varun Gupta was given two years of probation and fined $34,472 (approximately Rs 30,21,510) for stealing confidential documents. According to the prosecution, the data helped him land his new position and gave Microsoft an advantage in crucial talks with Intel.

According to Oregon Live, Gupta spent his final days at Intel quietly copying sensitive information from company systems. A PowerPoint presentation outlining Intel's pricing plans for a significant client was among the materials he took with him; most competitors could only imagine seeing such a playbook.

According to the report, Gupta was a product marketing engineer at Intel for ten years before departing in January 2020. He joined Microsoft's ranks a few days later. According to court filings, the data he obtained were "instrumental" in his subsequent conversations with the two internet giants as well as in securing his new position.

The case's prosecutor, Assistant US Attorney William Narus, maintained that Gupta's actions were intentional and consistent. He emphasised that Gupta had "purposefully and repetitively accessed secret documents" to support his case, and he asked the judge to sentence him to eight months in federal prison.

Gupta’s lawyer, David Angeli, admitted the theft was a “serious error in judgment” but insisted his client had already paid a heavy price. Gupta has lost the kind of senior industry roles he once held, and he previously settled a civil lawsuit with Intel to the tune of $40,000.

US District Judge Amy Baggio ultimately reached a compromise. She did not spare Gupta lightly, but she also refused to put him in jail. The $34,472 fine was not arbitrary; rather, it was determined to cover the expense of the eight months of federal jail time that the prosecution had demanded.