Google: Uber created fake company to steal its secrets

Uber is spiraling out of control right now, with the company in massive multiverse troubles, and now Google's parent company Alphabet suing Uber.

Alphabet claims that Uber stole propreitary self-driving car technology from Google's exciting Waymo project, with Alphabet's lawyers claiming that Uber created the original LLC, Ottomotto company as a "diversionary tactic and that Uber and Otto executives planned to acquire the company all along", reports Engadget.

Waymo lawyers showed stock awards, timelines and emails to help their claim that Uber created a company to steal self-driving tech secrets. Former Waymo executive Anthony Levandowski is in the center of this battle, as he founded Otto and is now working at Uber.

Charles Verhoeven, a lawyer for Waymo, spoke with BuzzFeed: "We've learned that Uber and Levandowski together created a cover-up scheme for what they were doing. They concocted a story for public consumption. The story was that Mr. Levandowski left Waymo for his own company".

Waymo lawyers also said that an Uber stock agreement saw $250 million worth of vesting stock entering the hands of Levandowski, the day after he left Google. They also pointed out state records that show Otto was acquired in July 2016, after being founded months before.

Uber defended itself, saying that the stock had been given to Levandowski when Otto was acquired, but then was back dated for his time at Otto. BuzzFeed reported that Uber's lawyers haven't dealt with the agreement in court yet.

As Engadget reports "nothing in the suit has been proven, but the current allegations sure do point a picture of some shady dealings on the part of Uber, Levandowski and other executives", and I totally agree.