--- title: "Sam Altman Is Suing the People Who Built His Mansion" description: "OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is deeply unhappy about the $27 million mansion he bought on San Francisco's iconic Lombard Street." date: "2024-07-17" modified: "2024-07-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/sam-altman-suing-people-mansion" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "housing crisis" - "sam altman" - "san francisco" - "the digest" --- # Sam Altman Is Suing the People Who Built His Mansion ![OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is deeply unhappy about the $27 million mansion he bought on San Francisco's iconic Lombard Street.]() *\Image: SFARMILS / Getty / Futurism\* ## 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? https://youtu.be/hGkVxIyKnEA ## 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]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()