A man allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco residence of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman early Friday morning, before issuing threats near the company’s headquarters. Authorities have since taken the suspect into custody. No injuries were reported in either incident.
A Molotov cocktail is a basic incendiary device made using a bottle filled with a flammable liquid and fitted with a wick that is lit before being thrown.
Incident at Altman’s residence
According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers responded to a fire-related call around 4.12 am local time. At the scene, they found that “an unknown male subject threw an incendiary destructive device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate.”
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The suspect fled the location on foot shortly after the act.
Threat near OpenAI headquarters
Roughly an hour later, at 5.07 am, police received another call from the 1400 block of 3rd Street, an area close to OpenAI’s headquarters. This time, a 20-year-old man was reported to have threatened to set a building on fire.
Officers arriving at the location identified the individual as the same suspect linked to the earlier incident. “When officers arrived on scene, they recognised the male to be the same suspect from the earlier incident and immediately detained him,” the SFPD said.
Company response
OpenAI confirmed the sequence of events and said it is cooperating with authorities.
“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,” Bloomberg quoted Jamie Radice, an OpenAI spokesperson, as saying.
“The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation," he added.
Sam Altman has not publicly commented on the incident so far.
