Who is Abdulrahman Alfozan, the Saudi engineer accused of spying on OpenAI?

The FBI arrested Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, for allegedly trying to spy on OpenAI while working at the company. Here is everything you need to know about him.

In Short

• He joined OpenAI in July 2025 and led agentic AI platforms
• His earlier roles included Meta, Nash, Microsoft, SAP and Raed Ventures
• Employees found the encrypted, thumb-sized device concealed behind a conference-room television

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that the FBI had arrested OpenAI employee Abdulrahman Alfozan for allegedly planting a recording device inside the company’s office. The device was spotted by OpenAI personnel, and the company later managed to trace it back to Alfozan after using AI tools.

Alfozan was arrested by authorities on October 9, and faces up to five years in prison, along with a potential fine of up to $250,000 (roughly Rs 2.37 crore).

Who is Abdulrahman Alfozan?

But who is Abdulrahman Alfozan? Alfozan is a 35-year-old Saudi national with permanent US residency. He joined OpenAI in July last year. According to his LinkedIn profile, Alfozan was working as an engineering lead at the company with a focus on agentic AI platforms. Following the arrest, his contract was terminated, OpenAI says.

Before his stint at OpenAI, Abdulrahman Alfozan spent years working at different firms in Silicon Valley. He was a founding engineer in the AI infrastructure startup Nash till 2025. Alfozan also served as senior systems engineer at Meta between 2017 and 2022. The 35-year-old has also had internship stints at Microsoft and SAP. Prior to his arrest, he was a venture partner at Riyadh-based investment firm Raed Ventures.

According to his profile, Alfozan studied computer science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated in 2016. Later, he earned a Master’s degree in data science from the University of California, Berkeley.

What did Abdulrahman Alfozan do?

Alfozan allegedly tried to spy on OpenAI. Prosecutors claim that he planted a concealed recording device in an executive conference room inside OpenAI’s San Francisco office to “capture sensitive discussions” about OpenAI’s AI technology and plans.

In case you are wondering how this entire incident unfolded. The DOJ says Abdulrahman Alfozan allegedly used his spouse’s account for an AI chatbot to learn how he could record in secrecy. This included questions about “building, customising, installing, audio recording, testing, obfuscating, and remote accessing a device” between September 24 and September 30.

It is believed that Alfozan planted a thumb-sized recording device inside the conference room, despite not having the authorisation to enter it. The device was found wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port behind a TV. It contained a microphone, a detachable camera sensor and microSD storage. The device was encrypted, so OpenAI was not able to access its content after employees discovered it on September 30.

After OpenAI found the device, it used internal AI models and digital forensic tools to examine the device and trace its origin. After identifying Abdulrahman Alfozan as the suspect, the company notified the FBI.

Later, CCTV footage allegedly showed Alfozan near the conference room on several occasions before the discovery. On October 5, footage allegedly showed him entering the conference room and looking behind the television. The same day, OpenAI security personnel searched a bag he had left unattended in another room and found his wallet, identification and a second recording device similar to the first.

Prosecutors claim Abdulrahman Alfozan later collected the bag from lost and found and reported other belongings missing, but did not mention the second device. Alfozan has been charged with “using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications.”

OpenAI says that as of now, it has found no signs that any user data or confidential information had been compromised. The company has terminated Alfozan’s contract. He faces proceedings in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

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