A Saudi military official paid for the wife and infant son of Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national and former OpenAI engineer, to fly out of the United States the day after his Oct. 9 arrest on charges of planting a hidden recording device at OpenAI, federal prosecutors said Sunday.
The court filing revealed extensive ties between Mr. Alfozan and Saudi officials, including frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family who tried to recruit him. The royal family member wrote in May that “Saudi needs you more” than the United States; Mr. Alfozan replied “100.” He said he would not leave OpenAI until he could collect promised company stock worth $2.2 million, prosecutors said. The Saudi government also offered to pay his bail, with the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles writing on Oct. 14 that it was ready to cover the full bail bond amount.
OpenAI disclosed this month that it found a hidden recording device in its San Francisco office and traced it to Mr. Alfozan, who appeared to be planning additional placements. He has been jailed since his arrest. His wife, Lujain Alassaf, and son left for Doha, Qatar, on a one-way business-class flight booked by a Saudi military official, prosecutors said.
Investigators found electronic parts similar to those in the recording device at Mr. Alfozan’s home, along with photos of concealed devices and sensitive conference room technology. His lawyer, William Pernik, submitted over 50 letters of support and records showing Mr. Alfozan had applied for U.S. citizenship with a naturalization interview scheduled for November. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse will decide Monday whether he remains jailed.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing