Sam Altman Targeted in Disturbing Molotov Attack as Police Take Suspect Into Custody

A 20-year-old man was arrested in San Francisco after police said he threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Police said he later made threats near OpenAI’s headquarters. Although no one was hurt, the incident triggered a police response and renewed concerns about the safety of high-profile technology leaders.

OpenAI confirmed that the targeted home belongs to Altman and said it is fully cooperating with investigators.

According to CNN, officers were first called to Altman’s home shortly after 4 a.m. on Friday, April 10, 2026, after someone reportedly threw an incendiary device at the property.

The fire was small and was put out at the exterior gate before it could spread.

About an hour later, officers were called to a separate location in San Francisco after a man was reported to be threatening to burn down a building near OpenAI’s headquarters in Mission Bay neighborhood.

“Officers learned that an unknown male subject threw an incendiary, destructive device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate. The suspect fled on foot. No injuries were reported,” the police said in their statement.

Police said they recognized the man as the same suspect from the earlier incident and detained him at the location.

“At approximately 5:04 a.m., officers responded to the 1400 block of Third Street regarding a report of a male threatening to burn down the building. Responding officers recognized the individual as the same suspect from the earlier incident and immediately detained him,” police added.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that jail records identified the suspect as Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama.

Those records listed possible booking charges, including attempted murder, making criminal threats, and possession or manufacture of a destructive device.

Meanwhile, OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice said the company was grateful for how quickly San Francisco police responded.

She said the suspect was in custody and that OpenAI was assisting with the investigation. The company also said that no injuries were reported.

“We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation,” Radice said.

Sam Altman also addressed the incident in a blog post, saying it made him reconsider the power of public language around artificial intelligence.

In the post, he said people should lower the temperature of the conversation and avoid turning disagreement into danger.

“Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pi**ed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives. This seems like as good of a time as any to address a few things,” Altman wrote.

He added, “I am a flawed person in the center of an exceptionally complex situation, trying to get a little better each year, always working for the mission.”

The incident comes at a time when Altman and OpenAI remain under intense public attention.

AP News reported that the incident happened days after a New Yorker investigation raised fresh questions about Altman and the company.

The case remains under investigation, and authorities have not said what led to the attack.