Key takeaways:
- Prosecutors allege Abdulrahman Alfozan placed a concealed recorder behind a television in an OpenAI executive conference room on September 28.
- Alfozan was arrested October 9, three days before a scheduled one-way flight from San Francisco to Riyadh.
- Prosecutors say Alfozan communicated with a Saudi royal, and a Saudi military official paid for his wife and son’s flight after his arrest.
Federal prosecutors are seeking to detain a former OpenAI engineer accused of planting a recording device in an executive meeting room, arguing that his planned move to Saudi Arabia and contacts there make him a flight risk.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, was arrested by the FBI on October 9, three days before he was scheduled to leave San Francisco with his wife and infant son on a one-way flight to Riyadh. OpenAI terminated his employment after the arrest. He is scheduled to appear Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse, according to CBS News.
In a court filing, prosecutors alleged that Alfozan inserted a concealed audio recorder into a USB port on the back of a television in an OpenAI executive conference room on September 28. The company found it on September 30. The BBC reported that the device was covered with toilet paper and that, after a camera was installed in the room, Alfozan was filmed on October 5 entering and appearing to look behind the television.
Prosecutors said the recorder remained in place for multiple days. They alleged that Alfozan modified it to prevent data transfer to the television and encrypted material on its microSD card. According to CBS News, investigators also found evidence that he used an AI chatbot account belonging to his wife to research continuous and speech-triggered recording, live listening and ways to encrypt and recover recordings.
The room was used for discussions of confidential research, commercial plans and government engagements, prosecutors said. OpenAI executives met with government officials there around the time the device was installed, leading prosecutors to argue that Alfozan’s alleged conduct could pose “a danger to the national security of the United States.” CBS News reported that investigators also found photographs of another concealed recorder and equipment in other meeting rooms, along with material suggesting he considered placing more devices and retrieving them before leaving the company.
Prosecutors said Alfozan communicated frequently on WhatsApp with an unidentified member of the Saudi royal family in 2025 and 2026, including as recently as October 5. The royal encouraged him to return for a Saudi artificial intelligence initiative, writing, “Saudi needs you more than [sic] the US!” According to CBS News, Alfozan expressed interest but said he would wait until his stock vested. CBS News reported that he earned $385,000 annually at OpenAI and received a $2.2 million equity grant when he joined in July 2025.
After his arrest, Alfozan’s wife and son flew from San Francisco to Doha on October 10 using one-way business-class tickets paid for by a Saudi military official, prosecutors said. The BBC reported that his wife told FBI agents her U.S. visa was expiring and that the family intended to move permanently to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Prosecutors cited Alfozan’s wealth, connections and what they described as “considerable support” from the Saudi government in asking that he remain in custody pending trial. According to CBS News, he has no prior criminal record. The BBC reported that the investigation is ongoing and that, if convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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