The CEO Who Asked a Robot How to Steal From His Own Company

Let me tell you what corporate greed looks like when it gets a chatbot. In March 2026, a Delaware court released documents detailing one of the most jaw-dropping corporate misconduct cases in recent memory. Changhan Kim, the CEO of Krafton — the South Korean gaming giant behind PUBG — had asked ChatGPT to help him figure out how to avoid paying $250 million to the developers of Subnautica 2. The AI, somewhat helpfully, suggested forming a task force called "Project X" to execute what the judge would later describe as a "Take Over" of the studio. Kim followed most of ChatGPT's recommendations. That sentence alone should keep you up at night. 壹 The setup was elegant in its simplicity. In 2021, Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds Entertainment — the studio behind Subnautica — for $500 million. As part of the deal, the studio's leadership would receive an additional earnout payment of up to $250 million if they hit certain financial milestones after the release of Subnautica 2. The maximum payout was $250 million, roughly 35% of Krafton's operating profit from the previous year. When internal projections showed in 2025 that the studio was on track to trigger that payment, Kim decided he wanted out. His legal department warned him the earnout would still need to be paid even if he fired the leadership "for cause." He was also warned it would expose Krafton to "lawsuit and reputation risk." So Kim did what any reasonable person would do in 2025: he turned to artificial intelligence. ChatGPT initially told him the earnout would be "difficult to cancel." But then, at the AI's suggestion, Kim formed Project X. The task force's mandate, according to Vice-Chancellor Lori Will's ruling: "Either negotiate a 'deal' on the earnout or execute a 'Take Over' of Unknown Worlds." "They looked to buy time," Will wrote. The AI also helpfully outlined specific actions, including a "communications strategy focused on fan trust," securing publishing rights over Subnautica 2, and preparing "systematic material of legal defense."