Man Hurls Molotov Cocktail At Home Of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: Police

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A man has been arrested on suspicion of trying to burn down the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman with a Molotov cocktail.

He also threatened to burn down OpenAI's headquarters on Friday morning, authorities said.

Police say the man threw an "incendiary destructive device" at a North Beach home, causing a fire to an exterior gate around 4:12 a.m.

Nobody was injured during the blaze. And although the suspect ran away before emergency personnel arrived at the scene, authorities were able to get a description of him, which was broadcast to other officers, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Officers responded just after 5 a.m. to a business in the 1400 block of Third Street after a man walked in and threatened to burn down the building, police said.

Responding officers recognized the man as the suspect who threw the device at the home, and after developing enough probable cause, took him into custody in connection with the blaze, authorities said.

Police only identified the suspect as a 20-year-old, adding that charges against him are still being considered. Authorities did not say why the suspect would throw a destructive device at a home or what that device was.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, released a statement confirming that the home belongs to Altman and that the threats were made at the company’s headquarters. No one was hurt in the incident, the company said, and OpenAI is assisting in the investigation.

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AP News contributed to this report.