Mother of OpenAI Whistleblower Alleges He Was Murdered, Says There Were Signs of Struggle

"Private autopsy doesn’t confirm cause of death stated by police."

Probe the Probe

The family of Suchir Balaji, the 26-year-old OpenAI whistleblower who was found dead just a month after his New York Times exposé was published, is claiming that the young man was murdered.

An account that appears to belong to Balaji's mother Poornima Ramarao — shortened to "Rao" online — said in a post on X-formerly-Twitter that a private investigator's probe has led the family to believe that the young whistleblower did not commit suicide as officials allege.

"We hired private investigator and did second autopsy to throw light on cause of death," Ramarao tweeted. "Private autopsy doesn’t confirm cause of death stated by police."

"Suchir’s apartment was ransacked," she continued, adding that there was some "sign of struggle in the bathroom and looks like some one hit him in bathroom based on blood spots."

The account, which has shared photos of Balaji that hadn't previously been seen in the press and a GoFundMe for the private investigation efforts, went on to suggest that the city of San Francisco is covering up a "cold blooded" murder.

After calling for an FBI investigation, the Rao account then tagged Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — and actually got a response from Musk himself.

"This doesn't seem like a suicide," the X owner and OpenAI cofounder wrote.

Pressing Matter

In the wake of Balaji's death, Ramarao has spoken out online and in the press about her son and her suspicions — though for the most part, her missives have not made waves stateside.

Earlier in December, Business Insider published an interview with the grieving mother, who described her son's precocious interest in math and artificial intelligence, his disillusionment and ultimate exit from OpenAI, and the debacle she endured when trying to get answers about his death.

According to Ramarao, Balaji had been on vacation with friends to celebrate his 26th birthday just before being found dead in his apartment. She claims she was the one to call the police when she hadn't heard from him upon his return from his trip, and that she waited outside the apartment for hours only to learn of Balaji's death when a medical examiner's van arrived on the scene with a stretcher.

"They didn't give the news to me," Ramarao told BI. "I'm still sitting there thinking, 'My son is traveling. He's gone somewhere.' It's such a pathetic moment."

On X, Ramarao also claims that she was interviewed by ABC News on December 27, but that it "has not been aired."

"We wonder why American TV media is not picking up," she tweeted, "despite... it being international sensation?"

It's worth noting that Ramarao is not pointing fingers at OpenAI or any other organization or individual. Instead, she seems simply to want justice for her son — a just cause, if there ever was one.

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