San Francisco police arrested an individual early Friday for allegedly throwing an incendiary device toward OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home and making threats outside the company’s headquarters, according to SFPD and OpenAI.
OpenAI said that at approximately 3:45 a.m. PT, an “unidentified individual approached Sam’s residence and threw an incendiary device toward the property.” The device landed nearby and extinguished, with “no injuries and only minimal damage” reported. The company added that shortly afterward, a person matching the suspect’s description was contacted by security outside MB1—OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood—where the individual made threatening statements about the building.
In a statement shared on social media, SFPD said officers responded at about 4:12 a.m. to a fire investigation in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Police said the incendiary device thrown at a residential property caused an exterior gate to catch fire, and the suspect fled on foot. Less than an hour later, officers detained the suspect outside OpenAI’s offices after recognizing him and arresting him on the scene; SFPD described him as an “unidentified 20-year-old male.” Charges were still pending, police said.
OpenAI said it is cooperating with law enforcement and that its offices would remain open, though employees were advised “not let anyone tailgate into the building.” “Early this morning, someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s home and also made threats at our San Francisco headquarters. Thankfully, no one was hurt,” spokesperson Kayla Wood said. The source does not provide a motive for the alleged actions. The incident is the latest in a series of threats and disruptions involving OpenAI’s San Francisco office, including a lockdown last November and arrests in February 2025 related to protesters blocking the front doors.
Source: Business Latest