Sam Altman house hit with Molotov cocktail, OpenAI office threatened
A screen shows OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaking during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington on March 11, 2026, attended by government officials, corporate executives and labor leaders.
Kylie Cooper | Reuters
The person who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail was arrested OpenAI CEO Sam Altman He threatens to go to the house and burn it down artificial intelligence Police said he was at the company’s San Francisco headquarters on Friday.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the attack in a statement and said, “Fortunately, no one was injured.”
According to a post on X San Francisco Police DepartmentPolice officers responded to a fire at Altman’s North Beach home after a suspect threw an “incendiary, destructive device” into his home around 4 a.m. The device caused a fire at the exterior door and the suspect fled on foot.
About an hour later, officers responded to a man threatening arson at the AI company’s office and realized he was the suspect in the attack at Altman’s home, according to the statement. Officers arrested a 20-year-old male suspect, charges pending.
“We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city to help keep our employees safe,” OpenAI said in the statement. he said. “The individual is in custody and we are assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home is seen from Chestnut Street in San Francisco on April 10, 2026.
Lea Suzuki | San Francisco Chronicle | Hearst Newspapers | Getty Images
The incident comes at a particularly contentious time for Altman and OpenAI.
In February, the company faced scrutiny for striking a deal with the Department of Defense after the Pentagon cut ties with AI rival Anthropic. Activists chalked messages at the offices of both companies, urging employees at OpenAI to speak out against the deal.
OpenAI and Anthropic are fighting for supremacy in the large market of language models. They are collectively worth more than $1 trillion in the private market and are both pursuing potential IPOs this year, but are still burning through billions of dollars in cash.
And in a lawsuit expected to go to trial later this month, Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and Altman, claiming the company’s CEO “meticulously manipulated” him into donating $38 million on promises that OpenAI would remain a nonprofit. Musk founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015, and as part of the lawsuit, he wants Altman to be removed as CEO of the company.
WRISTWATCH: Elon Musk wants OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to be dismissed as part of the lawsuit
