Ex-OpenAI engineer who allegedly planted bug in office was in contact with Saudi royal family

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national and former engineer at OpenAI, was arrested on October 9, 2026, after being charged with secretly installing an audio recording device in the company's San Francisco offices. OpenAI discovered the covert recording device hidden behind a television wrapped in toilet paper in September 30, 2026, which contained encrypted data. Alfozan was identified as the suspect using AI technology developed by OpenAI and had been working for the company since July 2025.

Prosecutors say surveillance footage showed Alfozan approaching the conference room where sensitive discussions about proprietary research and strategic decisions took place multiple times despite lacking authorization to enter or participate in meetings there. The device was connected to a USB port, and investigators found that Alfozan had used workplace productivity tools to gather information on building layouts and meeting schedules.

US District Judge Alex Tse ordered Alfozan held without bail on October 19 due to the risk he might flee. Prosecutors noted frequent contact between Alfozan and an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family, who encouraged him to work in Saudi Arabia's AI initiative, implying potential national security implications for the United States.