OpenAI CEO Sam Altman breaks his silence after his mansion was bombed with a Molotov cocktail and shares intimate household snap in bid to discourage future assaults

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has broken his silence after his San Francisco mansion was pelted with a Molotov cocktail in the early hours of Friday. 

Altman, 40, reflected on the terrifying incident on his personal blog, accompanied by a photo of his husband and child which he shared in a bid to deter future attacks.

‘Images have power, I hope. Normally we try to be pretty private, but in this case I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me,’ he wrote. 

The suspect, first identified by the San Francisco Chronicle, was named as 20-year-old Alejandro Daniel Moreno-Gama.

He allegedly threw the fire bomb at Altman’s home just after 4am PST, before fleeing the scene on foot, according to the San Francisco Police Department. 

Less than an hour later, police were called to OpenAI’s headquarters on 3rd Street after a man allegedly threatened to burn down the building.

Police recognized the man as the same suspect in the incident at Altman’s mansion and immediately took him into custody. No injuries were reported. 

Altman wrote in his blog that the Molotov cocktail bounced off the house. The bomb set an exterior gate on fire. 

‘Words have power too. There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago,’ Altman continued. 

‘Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside.

‘Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives.’

Altman did not specifically name the article he believed was ‘incendiary,’ but the alleged attack came just days after an explosive investigation by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz was published in The New Yorker. 

The exposé cited multiple interviews with sources who knew Altman and raised questions about whether the powerful CEO could be trusted. 

Altman went on to address his beliefs, noting that he believes advancing science and technology are ‘moral obligations.’ 

He hailed artificial intelligence as a ‘powerful tool for expanding human capability,’ but conceded that the fear and anxiety over AI was justified. Altman called for AI to be ‘democratized’ to avoid power being concentrated.

The CEO included a list of reflections on his achievements and failures, along with several thoughts about the tech industry. 

‘A lot of the criticism of our industry comes from sincere concern about the incredibly high stakes of this technology. This is quite valid, and we welcome good-faith criticism and debate,’ Altman wrote. 

He concluded his blog post with a call to action, writing: ‘While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally.’

Altman’s home that was targeted in the attack is a splashy $27 million mansion in the Russian Hill neighborhood.

It includes a wellness center, infinity pool and a subterranean garage with a car turntable, according to the San Francisco Standard. 

The suspect also allegedly targeted OpenAI’s headquarters. Employees told the New York Times they were notified that Altman’s home had been targeted and that security would be increased around the company’s offices.

An OpenAI spokesperson previously told the Daily Mail that ‘someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s home and also made threats at our San Francisco headquarters’ but that ‘thankfully, no one was hurt.’ 

‘We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe,’ a company spokeswoman told the outlet.

OpenAI added: ‘The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.’

Altman also took aim at his OpenAI co-founder and now-foe, Elon Musk in his blog post. 

He said he took pride in ‘not being willing to agree to the unilateral control he [Musk] wanted over OpenAI.’ 

Altman and Musk were among the founders of OpenAI in 2015. Musk left three years later and launched a competing company, xAI, in 2023. 

The two are now locked in a bitter legal battle. Musk claimed in a legal filing on Tuesday that Altman and OpenAI defrauded him. 

Musk’s lawyers called for Altman and OpenAI President Greg Brockman to be removed from their roles in the company. The case is expected to go to trial later this month. 

On Monday, OpenAI released a statement addressing the lawsuit.

‘The truth is that this case has always been about Elon generating more power and more money for what he wants,’ it read. ‘Having increasingly realized that his attempt to damage the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation rests on a baseless legal case, Elon is once again trying to change the narrative and save face as the trial approaches. 

‘His lawsuit remains nothing more than a harassment campaign that’s driven by ego, jealousy and a desire to slow down a competitor.’

OpenAI and Altman have a tumultuous history. In 2023, the company’s board fired Altman. He was then reinstated when multiple high-ranking staff members threatened to leave. 

Altman also addressed the controversy in his latest blog post, confessing: ‘I am not proud of handling myself badly in a conflict with our previous board that led to a huge mess for the company. 

‘I have made many other mistakes throughout the insane trajectory of OpenAI; 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.’

Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive in the recent alleged attack at Altman’s home. 

The suspect, Alejandro Daniel Moreno-Gama, was booked in jail on suspicion of throwing an incendiary device. Prosecutors have yet to officially file charges.