San Francisco police arrested a person early on Friday morning for allegedly attacking the house of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and making threats outdoors of the corporate’s headquarters, a spokesperson confirmed to WIRED. OpenAI’s company safety workforce despatched a word to staff concerning the incident on Friday.
“At roughly 3:45am PT, an unidentified particular person approached Sam’s residence and threw an incendiary system towards the property. The system landed close by and extinguished. There have been no accidents and solely minimal injury was reported,” the message to workers reads.
“Shortly afterward, a person matching the suspect’s description was contacted by safety outdoors MB1,” the message continues, referring to OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. “This particular person made threatening statements concerning the constructing.”
OpenAI’s company safety workforce informed workers it’s cooperating with legislation enforcement on an investigation, and that staff might discover an elevated police and safety presence across the workplace on Friday. The safety workforce mentioned that the corporate’s places of work stay open, however staff have been suggested to “not let anybody tailgate into the constructing.”
The San Francisco Police Division didn’t reply to a request for remark. In a statement shared on social media, the police mentioned that at roughly 4:12 am, officers responded to a fireplace investigation within the North Seaside neighborhood of San Francisco. An “incendiary system” had been thrown at a residential property, which precipitated an exterior gate to gentle on fireplace. The suspect fled on foot.
Lower than an hour later, an individual who police acknowledged as the identical suspect was discovered outdoors of OpenAI’s places of work threatening to burn down the constructing. Officers detained the suspect, an unidentified 20-year-old male, and arrested him on the scene.
No accidents have been reported, and expenses are nonetheless pending, SFPD mentioned within the assertion.
“Early this morning, somebody threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s house and likewise made threats at our San Francisco headquarters. Fortunately, nobody was damage,” mentioned OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wooden in an electronic mail to WIRED. “We deeply respect how rapidly SFPD responded and the help from the town in serving to maintain our staff protected. The person is in custody, and we’re helping legislation enforcement with their investigation.”
That is the newest incident through which OpenAI’s workplace and workers have been threatened. In November of final yr, OpenAI locked down its San Francisco office following an alleged menace from an activist. In February 2025, protesters have been arrested for locking the front doors to OpenAI’s workplace.
Lauren Goode contributed reporting.
