Or at least, Steve jobs did. And they were complex battles, with not just poached staff but also other resources. I can't remember the name of the site made by an older Apple employee that described how the Mac came into being.

The Mac was championed at and by Apple over both the Lisa and the IIgs. The latter, in particular, was cheaper, faster and just better than the first Mac in a quite a lot of ways. But it was competition and Steve picked a side...

Wade.