The mother of Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI programmer and whistleblower, has claimed that her son was attacked and killed, shortly after he accused the company of unethical practices. Balaji, who died last year in his San Francisco apartment, had reportedly uncovered documents revealing wrongdoing at OpenAI, his mother, Poornima Rao, revealed in an interview with political commentator Tucker Carlson. She expressed concerns about the circumstances surrounding her son’s death, which was initially ruled a suicide.
Balaji had worked as a programmer for OpenAI, contributing to the development of their widely-known ChatGPT. However, he became increasingly troubled by what he perceived as unethical practices at the company, particularly its transition from a non-profit to a for-profit organization. According to Rao, her son had been vocal about his concerns, especially regarding the potential for copyright violations in the company’s use of data.
“Suchir was adamant that OpenAI was committing crimes. He had documents that could expose them,” Rao told Carlson. “A month after he raised his concerns, he was dead.” She further explained that her son had been named a “custodian witness” in an article published by The New York Times just days before his death. The article allegedly identified Balaji as having critical evidence against OpenAI. “On November 18, he was named custodian witness. Just days later, he was killed,” Rao claimed.
Balaji had returned from a vacation on November 22, 2024, and was found dead four days later, on November 26. While authorities initially reported his death as a suicide, the unusual circumstances surrounding it have led to suspicions of foul play. His mother argues that the evidence points to murder, and she plans to take legal action.
“From the moment we arrived at Suchir’s apartment, we knew something was wrong,” Rao said. She described how their lawyer found unopened packages in her son’s apartment, suggesting that he had not planned his death. “This doesn’t look like a suicide at all,” she added. An official autopsy revealed that the gunshot wound was fired at a downward angle, further raising doubts about the suicide theory.
Rao also described an additional injury to Balaji’s head, which she believes was inflicted before the fatal gunshot. According to her, he was attacked from behind and possibly electrocuted before being made to sit down, where he was shot. “There was also a piece of a wig found at the scene, which was not his,” she noted.
In the interview, Rao reflected on her son’s character and ethical stance. “Suchir couldn’t stand lies, especially from people like Sam Altman,” she said, referencing the OpenAI CEO. She explained that Balaji had initially joined OpenAI with hopes of using AI to benefit humanity, but his beliefs were challenged as the company commercialized its technology.
Before his time at OpenAI, Balaji had worked with other prestigious tech companies like Scale AI, Helia, and Quora. He was also a highly skilled programmer, having excelled in global competitions like the ACM ICPC World Finals in 2018. His abrupt exit from OpenAI in August 2024, followed by the public airing of his concerns, set the stage for a tragic and suspicious end.
Elon Musk, a vocal critic of OpenAI’s commercialization, has weighed in on the incident, expressing deep concern. “Extremely concerning,” Musk commented on a video shared by Carlson, which highlighted Balaji’s mother’s claims about his death.
Despite official reports, the family is determined to uncover the truth behind Balaji’s death. “We are going to create a virtual reality video to present in court to show exactly what happened to him,” Rao said. With support from some of tech’s biggest names, the case remains unresolved, and questions surrounding Balaji’s tragic end continue to grow.
