# FBI arrests OpenAI employee over hidden recording device

> A Saudi national working at OpenAI was arrested after planting a sophisticated recording device in the company's executive conference room.
- Title: FBI arrests OpenAI employee over hidden recording device
- Summary: A Saudi national working at OpenAI was arrested after planting a sophisticated recording device in the company's executive conference room. Abdulrahman…
- Keywords: openai, abdulrahman alfozan, f b i, recording device, corporate espionage, saudi arabia, security breach, business, finance, FBI, arrests, employee
- Source: CNBC — https://cnbc.com/2026/10/13/openai-employee-arrested-recording-device.html
- Author: CJ Haddad
- Published: 2026-10-13T20:55:12+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: openai, abdulrahman alfozan, f b i, recording device, corporate espionage, saudi arabia, security breach, business, finance
## Device found in executive conference room
Open A I discovered a sophisticated recording device hidden inside its executive conference room. An employee had planted it a few days before it was found, the company said.
## Saudi national arrested on October ninth
Abdulrahman Alfozan, thirty-five, a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was arrested on October ninth in connection with the matter, the Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
## F B I Director describes the alleged plot
F B I Director Kash Patel said Alfozan allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer's executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications about the company's super intelligence technology.

> allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer's executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications about the company's super intelligence technology
## Evidence of unauthorized access and planning
Alfozan was not authorized to access the executive conference room.Footage showed him near it on multiple days before discovery.On October fifth, he entered the room.
## Spouse's account used to research recording methods
A chatbot account associated with Alfozan's spouse shared multiple identifiers with his own account and was used to get information about continuous audio recording and W i-Fi.
## Open A I says no data or code was compromised
Open A I said it has no indications Alfozan inappropriately accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code or customer data.

> At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data
## Key takeaway

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a thirty-five-year-old Saudi national, was arrested on October ninth after the F B I found a recording device he planted in Open A I's executive conference room to capture sensitive communications about the company's technology.