Molotov cocktail thrown at Sam Altman's home: Here's full story

A 20-year-old man has been arrested for throwing a Molotov cocktail at the house of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman early Friday morning, April 10.

The police reported that the incendiary device was struck at the exterior gate of Altman’s house around 3:45 a.m. This caused a small fire that was extinguished immediately.

No casualties were reported, and police didn’t provide clarity about whether Altman was home or not.

The suspect couldn’t be captured there, but about an hour later, was located around OpenAI’s headquarters in the Mission Bay district.

There, he allegedly threatened to burn the whole building.

Although there are no charges yet, police indicated that the suspect may face possible counts of attempted murder and possession of destructive devices.

The company confirmed the incident in a statement, stating: “No one was hurt. The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”

Altman also acknowledged, writing: “I empathise with anti-technology sentiments.”

“But we should de-escalate the rhetoric and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes,” he added.

The incident came after recent protests outside AI companies’ offices by groups demanding a pause on advanced AI development.

However, protest organizers have disavowed any violence.