What was the true value of the 26,000 confidential files?

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The True Value of Tesla's Confidential Files Remains Undefined Beyond Development Effort

Tesla has sued a former employee, Alex Khatilov, for allegedly stealing approximately 26,000 confidential files within his first week of employment. The company claims these files represent "200 man-years of work" and could offer a "roadmap to copy Tesla’s innovation," though a specific monetary valuation is not provided.
Alleged Theft of Trade Secrets

The lawsuit details that software engineer Alex Khatilov, shortly after being hired on December 28, allegedly transferred thousands of trade computer scripts to his personal Dropbox. Tesla's security team detected these downloads on January 6, within days of his hiring. The company asserts that these scripts represent significant developmental effort by Tesla.
Competitive Implications of Stolen Data

Tesla contends that the approximately 26,000 files are highly valuable not only to the company but also to its competitors. The nature of the files is described as providing a potential "roadmap to copy Tesla’s innovation," suggesting their strategic importance in understanding and replicating Tesla's technological advancements.
Employee's Defence and Termination

When confronted by Tesla's security team, Khatilov reportedly claimed to have only transferred a few personal administrative documents, an assertion made while allegedly attempting to delete evidence from his computer. He later told the New York Post that the software files ended up in his Dropbox by mistake while he was attempting to back up a folder. Khatilov was terminated on the same day he was informed of the lawsuit.

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What was the true value of the 26,000 confidential files?

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