# Ex-OpenAI employee accused of planting device had Saudi backing, prosecutors say

https://mins.news/en/item/106730

- Al Jazeera, 2026-10-19 18:23 UTC
- Tech
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/10/19/ex-openai-employee-accused-of-planting-device-has-saudi-backing-prosecutor?traffic_source=rss

> US prosecutors say former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, accused of placing a recording device in an executive conference room, was in frequent contact with an unnamed Saudi royal family member. They also allege a Saudi military official paid for a one-way ticket for Alfozan’s wife and son to return to Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors want him held pending trial, arguing he may flee.

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- [Ex-OpenAI worker accused of planting recorder had Saudi support, court filing says](https://mins.news/en/item/106606) — BBC News, 2026-10-19
- [Court filing indicates Saudi backing for ex-OpenAI employee accused of planting recording device](https://mins.news/en/item/106421) — Reuters, 2026-10-19
- [OpenAI Engineer’s Arrest Raises AI Espionage Concerns](https://mins.news/en/video/105099) — Bloomberg Television, 2026-10-18
