A 20-year-old individual is accused of launching a Molotov cocktail at the residence of Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, in the early hours of Friday, as reported by the San Francisco police.
The incident took place around 4:12 AM at Altman’s $27 million home in North Beach. The suspect has been apprehended, although his identity has not been disclosed. It has also been reported that this individual made threats to set fire to OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
In a statement posted on X, the San Francisco police disclosed that they were responding to a “fire investigation” following the alleged incident at Altman’s residence. Authorities indicated that a fire occurred at an exterior gate, after which the suspect fled the scene on foot. No injuries were noted in their report.
Shortly thereafter, around 5 AM, law enforcement received reports from a business in the Mission Bay area, where OpenAI’s headquarters are situated, regarding a man making threats to burn down the building. Officers recognized him as the suspect involved in the earlier incident and took him into custody.
OpenAI, which is widely recognized for developing the popular ChatGPT chatbot, confirmed the events in a statement sent via email. A spokesperson said, “This morning, an individual threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s home and issued threats at our San Francisco headquarters. Thankfully, there were no injuries.” The spokesperson expressed gratitude for the swift response of the San Francisco Police Department and the city’s efforts to ensure employee safety. The suspect is now in custody, and OpenAI is cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation.
On Friday morning, OpenAI notified its employees about the incident, assuring them that there was no immediate danger to them or any other offices. The communication also mentioned that there would be an enhanced presence of police and security around its Mission Bay facilities.
Last year, OpenAI had to secure its San Francisco office following a threat from an individual associated with an anti-AI activist organization.
