Former OpenAI employee alleged to have received Saudi backing, court filing says

A Saudi national charged with covertly placing a recording device in an OpenAI meeting room is accused in a California court filing of enjoying “considerable support” from the Saudi government. Prosecutors say Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35‑year‑old engineer who worked for the ChatGPT creator, was in frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family, and that a Saudi military official paid for a one‑way flight to Saudi Arabia for his wife and son after his arrest.

Alfozan, who had been with OpenAI for about a year, was deemed a flight risk and denied bail on Monday while he awaits trial. The Saudi government did not reply to requests for comment from the BBC.

OpenAI discovered the device on 30 September. It was a small audio recorder plugged into the back of a television in a conference room and hidden under toilet paper. After installing a camera in the room, investigators captured footage on 5 October showing Alfozan enter the space and appear to look behind the TV where the recorder had been placed. He was taken into custody by the FBI on 9 October, and his employment with OpenAI was terminated.

The filing argues that Alfozan’s alleged actions could threaten U.S. national security because senior OpenAI executives met with government officials in the room during the period the device is believed to have been active. His arrest occurred three days before a scheduled one‑way flight from San Francisco to Riyadh with his wife and son.

Following the arrest, Alfozan’s wife told FBI agents that her U.S. visa was expiring, that she and her son were “permanently moving back to Saudi Arabia,” and that her husband intended to do the same. On 10 October, the day after his arrest, she and her son flew from San Francisco to Doha, Qatar, on a one‑way business‑class ticket paid for by a Saudi military official.

Prosecutors contend that the defendant has little incentive to remain in the United States to see the case through. U.S. District Judge Alex Tse denied a bail request, citing a significant risk that Alfozan would not appear for future proceedings.

The FBI investigation continues. Alfozan is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco later on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.