OpenAI engineer arrested over hidden recording device had booked one-way ticket to Saudi

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi Arabian national and OpenAI employee, was arrested on October 9 after a hidden recording device was discovered in an executive conference room at OpenAI's San Francisco offices. According to prosecutors, Alfozan and his family had booked one-way tickets from San Francisco to Saudi Arabia via Istanbul around the same time, suggesting an intent to flee the country if he learned about the case before arrest.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fired Alfozan on the same day he was arrested. The company's security team found the recording device on September 30, concealed behind a television with toilet paper. Alfozan, who joined OpenAI in July 2025, worked on its product team and was not authorized to access the conference room where the device was placed.

Government attorneys argued that Alfozan had the means and incentive to flee the US in light of the allegations, citing the travel arrangements in a motion to seal the complaint. OpenAI maintains that there is no evidence of Alfozan improperly accessing or exfiltrating data.