According to Fortune magazine, on October 9 (local time), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) apprehended Abdulrahman Alfozan, an engineer at OpenAI, accusing him of covertly installing recording equipment in an executive conference room. Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, has been employed at OpenAI since July 2025. In addition to his role at OpenAI, he also serves as a venture partner at RAED Ventures, a Saudi venture capital firm.

As per the U.S. Department of Justice, on September 28, Alfozan installed sophisticated recording devices in the USB port located behind the television in the conference room and then concealed them with toilet paper. During a routine inspection on September 30, OpenAI discovered the device. Surveillance footage captured Alfozan loitering near the conference room on multiple occasions. Moreover, on October 5, he was filmed entering the conference room and inspecting the area behind the TV. On October 9, OpenAI terminated his employment, and the FBI arrested him on the same day.

Alfozan is currently facing charges for using or attempting to use an electronic device to intercept oral communications. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison and fined $250,000. Furthermore, Alfozan and his family had booked one-way tickets from San Francisco to Saudi Arabia for October 12. Prosecutors cited this as a reason to request the temporary sealing of the case. At present, the case has not yet been adjudicated, and Alfozan's motive for installing the recording equipment remains a mystery.