OpenAI Wiretapping Case: Prosecutors Reveal Saudi Royal Contacts

Federal prosecutors in San Francisco have revealed new details in the espionage case involving Abdulrahman Al-Fozan, a Saudi engineer arrested for allegedly planting a recording device in a OpenAI executive boardroom. According to a court filing, Al-Fozan maintained frequent WhatsApp communications with a member of the Saudi royal family throughout 2025 and 2026, with the last recorded message on October 5, just four days before his arrest.

The prosecution stated that the royal family member repeatedly urged Al-Fozan to join an artificial intelligence initiative in Saudi Arabia and inquired about his departure timeline from OpenAI. In May 2026, the royal reportedly wrote that Saudi Arabia needed him more than the United States, to which Al-Fozan responded with a brief reply interpreted by investigators as agreement. However, the engineer also explained that he intended to remain at the company until his stock grants vested.

Al-Fozan joined OpenAI in July 2025 with an initial base salary of $325,000, which later increased to $385,000, alongside a $2.2 million equity grant. In tech companies, such grants vest gradually over years of employment, making the exact timing of departure financially critical. Prosecutors are using these details to argue that Al-Fozan should remain in custody without bail, citing his strong ties to Saudi Arabia and the lack of an extradition treaty between the two nations.

The case came to light when OpenAI staff discovered a recording device hidden behind a television screen in a executive boardroom on September 30. Prosecutors allege Al-Fozan installed the device around September 28, during a period when high-level strategic and government-relation discussions took place. Security cameras reportedly captured him lingering near the room on multiple occasions.

Following his arrest, OpenAI terminated the engineer's employment. The company stated that no model weights, source code, or customer data were compromised. The FBI investigation remains ongoing, with a detention hearing scheduled for October 19 in federal court.