Officers arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home on Friday and then making threats at the company’s headquarters, police and the company said.
Officers went to the home shortly after 4 a.m. because someone had thrown an incendiary device, setting an exterior gate alight before fleeing on foot, police said.
Less than an hour later, authorities were called to a business elsewhere in the city where a man had reportedly threatened to burn down the building. Officers recognized the man as the same suspect and detained him, the police department posted on social media.
OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, released a statement confirming that the home belongs to Altman and that the threats were made at its headquarters. No one was hurt, the company said, and OpenAI is assisting in the investigation.
Authorities haven’t charged or released details about the man they arrested, including his name or a possible motive.
“We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe,” OpenAI wrote in a statement.
Altman, the co-founder and CEO, has become a preeminent voice in Silicon Valley on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence. He was fired by OpenAI in 2023 after a review found he was “not consistently candid in his communications” with the board of directors, but he was rehired just days later. He returned as CEO under a different board of directors.
Altman is a controversial figure, and the attack comes days after the New Yorker published an in-depth investigation that touched on concerns some people have about him and the company.
Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.
