US judge rejects $1 million bail bond offered by Saudi government for former OpenAI engineer
A US federal judge rejected a $1 million bail bond offered by the Saudi government for former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan and ordered him to remain in custody. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse found that he may have access to wealth far exceeding that amount, making him difficult to recover if he flees. Prosecutors acknowledged that it is still unclear what he intended to take, and the case currently rests on a single wiretapping charge, which will be further explained at a hearing on November 6.
Why read this
AI score 54
The case reveals details of allegations that the former OpenAI engineer was recruited by the Saudi royal family, as well as the judge's reasons for rejecting the $1 million bail.
Topics
Body
Fortune: A federal judge kept former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan jailed, refusing a $1M bond the Saudi government offered to guarantee.
Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse weighed that sum against his possible access to far greater wealth, warning “there’s no getting him back” if he fled.
A Saudi royal allegedly tried to recruit him over WhatsApp, and when told in May that “Saudi needs you more” than the US, Alfozan replied “100.”
His wife and baby flew out within 36 hours on a ticket paid for by a relative in the Saudi government.
Prosecutors concede they don’t know what, if anything, he aimed to take, so the case rests on 1 wiretap count until the Nov. 6 hearing shows a purpose.