Sam Altman Is Suing the People Who Built His Mansion

Apparently, his infinity pool overlooking the Bay is leaking.

Lemon Mansion

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is deeply unhappy about the $27 million mansion he bought on San Francisco's iconic Lombard Street.

The 9,500-square-foot property overlooks the bay, features a massive infinity pool, and even has a "Batcave" that leads to a garage.

But under the surface, the residence is a "lemon," as Altman described it in a lawsuit against the mansion's builder, arguing that he was misled into buying it despite its shoddy construction.

As reported by the San Francisco Standard, Altman accused the developer of selling homes "plagued by instances of poor workmanship and defects."

It's hard to rile up some sympathy here given Altman's astronomical net worth. According to recent estimates, he's worth $2 billion — excluding his stake in OpenAI.

Besides, isn't this what due diligence and extensive inspections prior to purchase are for?

 

Waterproof Contract

The Lombard Street property, one of the most expensive homes listed in the city, apparently needed $4 million worth of urgent repairs, from a sewage line that was allegedly plugged up with bags by an unhappy and unpaid contractor, to a leaky pool. According to the lawsuit, Altman also had to deal with a massive flood last year — and a lost coyote that made the patio furniture its home.

According to the Standard, the builder Troon Pacific and its CEO Greg Malin have already been the subject of other similar lawsuits pertaining to shoddy workmanship and fraud, suggesting Altman isn't alone in his complaint.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the home was listed for $45 million 2018, but the pandemic caused its price to plummet, selling for "just" $27 million in late 2020.

In short, Altman's plight highlights the strange lives of billionaires in the Bay Area — a city that has been reeling from a housing crisis since the 1990s and has tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness.

More on Altman: OpenAI Researcher Says He Quit When He Realized the Upsetting Truth