OpenAI · DOJ · FBI · Saudi Arabia · Federal Reserve (FED) · CNBC Technology
FBI arrests Saudi OpenAI employee who allegedly planted recording device in conference room
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◎ Multiple-sources
An OpenAI employee was arrested after a " sophisticated recording device " was discovered inside its executive conference room, according to the Department of Justice and a post by the company.
Key facts
- Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, who is a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Oct. 9 in connection with the matter, the DOJ said in a release on Tuesday
- The firm announced on Feb. 6, 2025, that H.H. Prince Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, had joined the firm as a venture partner
- The DOJ said that on Oct. 5, he went into the room
- The DOJ said a bag was also found in the OpenAI building on or about Oct. 5 that belonged to Alfozan
Summary
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, who is a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Oct. 9 in connection with the matter, the DOJ said in a release on Tuesday. The company said an employee planted the device a few days before it was found, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation "moved quickly to make an arrest," the post said. FBI Director Kash Patel said that Alfozan "allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer's executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications about the company's super intelligence technology. Alfozan is also listed as a partner at Raed Ventures, a venture capital firm that focuses on the Middle East and North Africa, according to its website.