Austin Russell Complies with Subpoena Amid Luminar’s Bankruptcy Proceedings
Austin Russell, the founder and former CEO of Luminar Technologies, has agreed to accept an electronic subpoena concerning information stored on his personal phone. This development is part of the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings of the lidar technology company. According to a recent court filing, Russell has seven days to file a motion to quash the subpoena or object to it; failing that, he must comply within 14 days.
This agreement follows allegations from Luminar’s legal team that Russell had been evading the subpoena by instructing process servers to leave his Florida residence. Russell had previously expressed concerns about the protection of his personal information. The latest filing indicates that both parties have now agreed on specific measures to safeguard this information during the legal process.
Luminar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2025 after losing significant contracts with major clients such as Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. The company also faced increasing competition from Chinese lidar manufacturers. In an effort to restructure, Luminar has reached a tentative agreement to sell its lidar assets to Quantum Computing Inc. (QCI) for $22 million. Additionally, Luminar is negotiating the sale of its semiconductor division to QCI for $110 million. An auction is scheduled for the end of this month to potentially attract higher bids.
Russell, who resigned as CEO in May 2025 following an ethics inquiry, attempted to reacquire Luminar in October 2025, prior to the bankruptcy filing. Representatives from his new venture, Russell AI Labs, have indicated ongoing interest in bidding for Luminar’s lidar assets, though no formal offer has been made to date.
Since Russell’s departure, Luminar has been seeking access to information that could inform potential legal actions against him. While Russell has surrendered multiple computers, he had withheld his phone due to privacy concerns. Luminar initially claimed it was seeking two phones—one company-issued and one personal—but Russell has clarified in court filings that he only possessed a single phone during his tenure at the company.
