Ex-OpenAI worker accused of planting device had Saudi support, says court filing

A former OpenAI employee has been detained without bail after U.S. prosecutors alleged he had connections to the Saudi royal family and planned to flee to Saudi Arabia. Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, was arrested on October 9 and charged with attempting to install a surreptitious audio recording device in a conference room at OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters. A U.S. district judge ruled on Monday that Alfozan poses a significant risk of flight and denied his request for bail. According to court filings, Alfozan had frequent communication with a member of the Saudi royal family and was in regular contact with a Saudi military official who allegedly paid for a one-way flight for his wife and son to Saudi Arabia after his arrest. The flight was scheduled for October 12, just three days after his arrest. His wife and son traveled from San Francisco to Doha, Qatar, on October 10, using a business-class ticket purchased by the military official. OpenAI discovered the recording device on September 30, hidden behind a television in a conference room used for “highly confidential” discussions involving proprietary research, product plans, and business opportunities. Surveillance footage from October 5 showed Alfozan entering the room and appearing to look behind the television where the device had been inserted. The device was connected to a USB port on the back of the television and had been modified to prevent data transfer and encrypted the content stored on its microSD card. Prosecutors argue that Alfozan’s actions could pose a danger to U.S. national security, given that the conference room was used for meetings with government officials. They stated that Alfozan had gone to considerable lengths to create customized, encrypted recording devices to capture sensitive conversations. Court documents indicate that he had been researching ways to build such devices using an AI chatbot account linked to his wife. Alfozan had worked at OpenAI for approximately a year before being arrested. He was earning an annual salary of $385,000 and had received a $2.2 million equity grant upon joining the company in July 2025. Prosecutors allege that he had planned to install additional devices within OpenAI offices and had discussed returning to Saudi Arabia with an unnamed member of the royal family via WhatsApp. The Saudi government has not responded to requests for comment, nor has Alfozan’s attorney, William Pernik. Pernik had previously requested Alfozan’s release under conditions that included electronic monitoring and surrendering his passport. He argued that his client had lived in the U.S. for 15 years and had applied for U.S. citizenship. However, prosecutors countered that Alfozan’s planned trip to Saudi Arabia was part of a broader effort to leave the country permanently. Alfozan is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco later on Monday. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The FBI investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the legal proceedings continue.