OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Home Targeted with Molotov Cocktail, Suspect Arrested
By Reuters | 10 Apr, 2026

A suspect was arrested by San Francisco police for throwing a Molotov cocktail and making threats outside OpenAI headquarters.

FILE PHOTO: CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit of government officials, corporate executives, and labor leaders, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo

San Francisco police arrested a person for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home and for making threats outside the artificial intelligence startup's headquarters, the company said on Friday.

"Thankfully, no one was hurt. We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe," an OpenAI spokesperson said.

The company is assisting law enforcement agencies with their investigation, it added.

In a post on X, the San Francisco police department said an unknown male subject threw an incendiary device at a North Beach residence, and then went on to make threats about burning down a building, following which the suspect was immediately detained.

The department said its officers developed probable cause to place the 20-year-old under arrest during the investigation.

The post did not give further details about the attacks or threats and did not name Altman or OpenAI.

The startup has recently faced backlash ​over its move to strike a deal with ​the U.S. ⁠government to let it use its technology in classified military operations, after rival Anthropic and Washington got into a dispute.

A recent NBC News poll found that AI is less popular than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)