Ex-OpenAI engineer faces FBI probe over hidden microphone

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is deciding whether to bring economic espionage charges against Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineer at OpenAI. Alfozan was arrested earlier this month after authorities say he hid a small circuit board and microphone behind a television in a conference room used by company executives.

A law enforcement official told The Wall Street Journal that investigators are looking into whether Alfozan passed confidential information to the Saudi government. This review includes the possibility of trade secret theft, though officials noted the probe might not lead to new prosecutions. Alfozan, 35, is a Saudi national and US permanent resident. He currently faces one federal charge for unlawfully intercepting communications, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Prosecutors say Alfozan exchanged frequent WhatsApp messages with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family in 2025 and 2026. The royal family member tried to recruit him for a Saudi AI project, writing that Saudi needs him more than the US. Alfozan replied with the number 100 but said he wanted to stay at OpenAI until his stock options vested. The last known message between them was sent on October 5. That is the same day Alfozan allegedly returned to the conference room to pick up the hidden device. OpenAI security staff had already found and removed the equipment and called the FBI.

Concerns about flight risk emerged when prosecutors revealed Alfozan bought one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia via Istanbul for himself, his wife, and their three-month-old son. He was arrested three days before the planned trip. His wife and child later flew to Qatar on business class seats purchased by a Saudi military official. Defense lawyers stated the official was the wife's brother-in-law and that no military funds were used. They also noted Alfozan often booked one-way flights.

At an October 19 detention hearing, Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse questioned a letter from the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles. The consulate offered to pay Alfozan's full bail bond. Judge Tse asked if the amount could be set at $10 million, calling the offer a blank check. He denied bail because he found Alfozan posed a high risk of fleeing. Alfozan is scheduled to appear in court again on November 6.

William Pernik, Alfozan's attorney, said his client has not heard that new charges are being considered. Pernik stated that Alfozan will fight the charges in court rather than in the press. OpenAI is currently reviewing what the recording device may have captured to determine if it was corporate espionage or state-sponsored intelligence gathering.