Elon Musk rejects Altman’s claim on Suchir Balaji’s death, calls it ‘murder’
Tucker Carlson has pushed back against recent suggestions that he was accused of murder during a Fox News appearance. The former host dismissed the characterization, clarifying that while he faced sharp questioning, he was not directly accused of committing any crime
New Delhi: Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has publicly disputed OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman’s assertion that Indian-origin researcher and whistleblower Suchir Balaji died by suicide, insisting instead that Balaji "was murdered.” The controversy was reignited after Sam Altman appeared in a televised conversation with American broadcaster Tucker Carlson, where questions about Balaji’s death in November 2024 resurfaced.
During the exchange, Carlson pressed Altman on Balaji’s whistleblower claims against OpenAI, saying: "So you’ve had complaints from one programmer who said you guys were basically stealing people’s stuff and not paying them, and then he wound up murdered. What was that?" Altman responded firmly, "Also a great tragedy. He committed suicide." Describing Balaji as both a "long-time colleague and friend,” the OpenAI CEO said he had personally examined the evidence. "It looks like a suicide to me," he told Carlson, adding that the incident had left him shaken.
Murder claim dispute
Carlson remained unconvinced, highlighting what he called "glaring inconsistencies” — including cut surveillance wires, signs of a struggle, blood found in multiple rooms, and the presence of a wig. "Why does it look like a suicide?" he challenged. Altman countered that Balaji’s death resulted from a firearm legally purchased by him, and stressed that all available findings indicated suicide. "I haven’t done too many interviews where I’ve been accused of murder," he remarked, expressing disbelief at Carlson’s framing.
Carlson, however, refused to back down: "He was definitely murdered, I think." Balaji, who had recently gone public with accusations that OpenAI misused copyrighted material in training its models, was discovered dead at his San Francisco apartment weeks later. The city’s medical examiner concluded that the cause was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and local authorities said no signs of foul play were found.
Balaji’s family has consistently disputed that conclusion, pointing to what they described as unexplained irregularities surrounding the case and urging federal authorities, including the FBI, to carry out a thorough and transparent probe.