Early Friday morning local time, San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs) at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in the Russian Hill neighborhood earlier that day.
According to the San Francisco Standard, the incident occurred shortly before 7 a.m., and the relevant footage was captured by surveillance cameras. Later that morning, outside OpenAI’s office building in Mission Bay, someone was seen making threatening remarks in front of the building. His appearance matched the suspect who had previously appeared near Altman’s residence. San Francisco police later arrested the man outside the OpenAI office at about 9 a.m.
OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice confirmed the incident in a statement to technology media, saying: "Fortunately, no one was injured. We are very grateful to the San Francisco police for their quick response and the city's support in keeping employees safe. The man is currently in custody and we are assisting law enforcement with their investigation."
The San Francisco police later posted on the social platform X that a man "threatened to burn down the building" in front of a business in the 1400 block of Third Street. OpenAI's headquarters is located at 1455 Third Street. The police said in the post that the relevant investigation is still ongoing and "charges are still in the process of being sorted and submitted." San Francisco police have not responded publicly to further details.