The former engineer at OpenAI, Abdulrahman Alfozan, is facing charges for allegedly placing a recording device in a conference room at the tech company’s San Francisco office. It was revealed that just days before his arrest, he had booked a one-way flight to Saudi Arabia, a detail pointed out by the Justice Department.
According to court filings, Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, had arranged for himself, his wife, and another relative to fly out on October 12, just after he was taken into federal custody. This information was used by federal prosecutors to request that a judge keep the details of the charges hidden, expressing concern that making them public could lead him to flee the country.
OpenAI discovered the hidden device, which was connected to a USB port on a television in a room designated for “highly confidential” discussions, on September 30. The device, disguised in toilet paper, had reportedly been set up just two days prior to the discovery. Surveillance footage showed Alfozan near the conference room several times, linking him to the incident.
He was arrested on October 9 for allegedly using or trying to use the device to intercept conversations. Earlier last month, during an Arabic podcast, Alfozan shared a memory of meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to Silicon Valley in 2016. The prince had suggested that young Saudis gain experience in leading tech firms before returning to their home country.
In a somewhat reflective tone, Alfozan recounted the advice: to “learn from the source” and, with good fortune, bring that knowledge back to Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, another interesting element has surfaced—a chatbot linked to his wife was said to have been used to generate ideas on how to install and conceal audio recording devices. This detail adds another layer to the ongoing investigation.
As the case unfolds, Fox News Digital has reached out to Alfozan’s attorney for further comment.
