SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old man on Friday after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and later made threats at the company’s headquarters, authorities and the company said.
Officers responded to Altman’s residence in the North Beach/Russian Hill area shortly after 4 a.m. local time following reports of an incendiary device that set fire to an exterior gate, the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement. The suspect fled on foot. No one was injured in the incident, and it remained unclear whether Altman was home at the time.
About an hour later, officers were called to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters after a man made threats to burn down the building. Police recognized him as the same suspect from the earlier attack and arrested him on the scene, SFPD said. The suspect was identified in some reports as Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama and was booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, arson, possession or manufacture of an incendiary device and other charges.
OpenAI confirmed the incidents in a statement to employees and the media. “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,” the company said. “We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe.”
The attack occurred amid heightened security concerns for tech executives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Charges against the suspect remained pending as of Friday evening, police said. Details about a possible motive or any prior connection between the suspect and Altman or OpenAI were not disclosed.
As of Saturday morning, Altman had not issued a public statement on the incident. The investigation continued, with no additional arrests reported.
