Former OpenAI engineer booked flight to Saudi Arabia after alleged bugging

Unsealed court filings show that former OpenAI employee Abdulrahman Alfozan had booked a one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia for October 12, Financial Times Tech, Bloomberg Tech, and Gizmodo reported. According to Financial Times Tech, the flight was booked for Alfozan, his wife, and a third family member. Gizmodo reported that prosecutors asked a judge to keep details of the case sealed to prevent Alfozan from fleeing the country. [1][6][7]

As FTMQ Tech reported earlier, federal authorities arrested the 35-year-old Saudi national on October 9 after a recording device was discovered behind a television in an executive meeting room at OpenAI's San Francisco office. SiliconANGLE, CNBC Tech, and Tom's Hardware reported that Alfozan was charged with illegally intercepting oral communications. Tom's Hardware reported that the charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. [2][4][5][15][16]

BBC News Technology reported that the device was wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a television. According to BBC News Technology, official court documents show that Alfozan asked artificial intelligence models to assist him in listening in on discussions about AI. His motive remains unclear, according to BBC News Technology. [3]

OpenAI, which reached a valuation of roughly $850 billion in early 2026 and operates ChatGPT, terminated Alfozan following the discovery, CNBC Tech and SiliconANGLE reported. CNBC Tech added that the company said the Federal Bureau of Investigation acted rapidly to make the arrest after the device was found. [2][4][14]