Police said the suspect targeted Altman’s San Francisco residence before dawn and fled the scene on foot. Published On 10 Apr 202610 Apr 2026A 20-year-old man has been arrested by San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman early on Friday morning.Police in the United States said the suspect targeted the property at about 4am local time (11:00 GMT), allegedly throwing an improvised incendiary device that ignited part of an exterior gate before fleeing the scene on foot.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listAuthorities did not publicly identify the suspect or confirm the address where the attack took place.Instead, in a post on the social media platform X, the police department said that a residence in the North Beach neighbourhood was affected.However, a spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the incident took place at Altman’s residence.“Thankfully, no one was hurt. We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.Police have not indicated a possible motive behind the attack. The suspect was ultimately located about an hour later near OpenAI’s headquarters, roughly 4.8 kilometres (three miles) away, where he was allegedly threatening to set the building on fire.OpenAI said it is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation continues.Security concerns around OpenAIThe incident comes amid heightened security concerns around OpenAI’s offices, which have faced threats and protests in recent months.Just last November, a man making violent threats to its San Francisco headquarters briefly prompted an office lockdown. Advertisement Altman and the company have increasingly become targets for activists who warn about the risks artificial intelligence could pose to society.Critics have also raised alarm over OpenAI’s decision to collaborate with the US Department of Defense, a move that has intensified scrutiny of the company’s role in military technology.Public sentiment towards AI remains mixed. A recent NBC News poll found that the technology is viewed even le …
