OpenAI CEO Sam Altman received the subpoena during a live discussion with Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr at the Sidney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco. The event, organized by civic leader Manny Ekutiel, was interrupted by a man from the audience who jumped on stage claiming to deliver a subpoena. Ekutiel intervened to try to stop the man before he was escorted away by security. The document was handed over to the theater staff and after a short hiatus the program resumed.
Sam Altman received a summons on stage: pic.twitter.com/3WvwASWNBr
—unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) November 7, 2025
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office later confirmed that the man was one of its investigators and was legally working for Altman. Spokesperson Valerie Ibarra told SFGATE that Altman was named as a witness in the ongoing criminal case after previous attempts to contact him online with OpenAI headquarters were unsuccessful.
Activist group links subpoena to upcoming trial
Activist group Stop AI claimed responsibility for the service, saying the subpoenas were related to upcoming court proceedings involving members charged with nonviolent protests against OpenAI. The organization previously called artificial intelligence an “existential threat to humanity” outside the company’s San Francisco office.
OpenAI faces questions over funding and structure
The subpoena comes as OpenAI seeks U.S. government assistance in securing funding for large-scale AI chip and data center projects. Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar, speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s TechLive conference, said the company is not considering going public at this time. “We’re not looking at an IPO at this point,” Friar said, noting that OpenAI is focused on expanding its business following a recent corporate restructuring.
OpenAI reorganized from a for-profit corporation to a public benefit corporation in late October as part of a new deal with Microsoft that valued the company at $500 billion. The nonprofit parent company, OpenAI Foundation, owns 26% of the stock and retains long-term control.
Frier added that the company is exploring potential partnerships with private equity firms, banks, and possibly government agencies to reduce the cost of financing AI infrastructure. She explained that the depreciation risk of expensive AI hardware makes traditional financing impractical without external guarantees.
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