Elon Musk has sharply escalated his attacks on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, declaring that former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji—who died last year—“was murdered,” in direct contradiction of both the findings of San Francisco authorities and Altman’s own public statements. Musk’s sensational claim follows a tense interview between Altman and Tucker Carlson, who similarly cast doubt on the overwhelming findings by authorities that Balaji killed himself, including the facts that he was killed with a gun that he owned, with all entrances locked from the inside and no signs of another person’s presence.
On Sept. 10, Altman appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show, where he faced pointed questions regarding the death of Suchir Balaji—a key former researcher at OpenAI who left the company and publicly accused it of copyright violations shortly before his death. Carlson pressed Altman directly: “Do you think he committed suicide?”
Musk’s history with Altman and OpenAI has grown increasingly adversarial in recent years, with Musk criticizing what he sees as lax ethical standards and lack of transparency at the AI lab. Musk’s public endorsement of conspiracy claims surrounding Balaji’s death marks yet another escalation in his attacks against OpenAI’s current leadership.
Altman, faced with repeated insinuations by Carlson, expressed discomfort at being “accused of murder” but stood by the official record. “I haven’t done too many interviews where I’ve been accused of murder,” he remarked, emphasizing his belief in the findings and asserting respect for Balaji and his family.
