DOJ: Man Who Attacked Sam Altman’s House Threatened to Kill Other Tech CEOs

Federal and local authorities charged a Texas man with the attempted murder of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Monday after attacks at his San Francisco home and company headquarters last week.

Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, of Spring, Texas, faces two counts of attempted murder, arson and attempted arson, among other charges, from the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, as well as charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

“Today’s charges outline a dangerous and deliberate plan to bring violence into San Francisco,” said Matt Cobo, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s acting special agent in charge of San Francisco. “The defendant is alleged to have traveled across state lines with the intent to go target an individual and a major technology company. This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted, and extremely serious.”

Moreno-Gama was arrested Friday in San Francisco after allegedly throwing the improvised explosive at Altman’s residence in Russian Hill. He fled on foot and was arrested shortly after, outside of OpenAI’s Mission Bay headquarters. There, he attempted to break the glass doors of the building with a chair, and said that he had come to burn down the building and kill anyone inside, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the complaint, when arrested, Moreno-Gama was carrying additional incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a lighter, and a document titled “Your Last Warning,” a manifesto, which identified himself as the author.

The document allegedly “advocated against AI and for the killing and commission of other crimes against CEOs of AI companies and their investors,” the DOJ said in a press release. It included the names and addresses believed to belong to some of the sector’s prominent CEOs and investors.

The document also included an admission to attempting to kill Altman, and ended with a letter addressed to the CEO, which said: “If by some miracle you love, then I would take this as a sign from the divine to redeem yourself.” In the document, Moreno-Gama also urged others to join his effort.

Cobo said the FBI and SFPD have gone through the document thoroughly, and made contact with people referenced in it. He said they did not assess that there was any specific threat toward the named people.

“We interpret this behavior for just what it is, an attempt on Mr. Altman’s life,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said at a press conference on Monday. “It’s an extreme danger to those around him and those who work for his company. My office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”

Moreno-Gama faces a slew of charges in San Francisco Superior Court in addition to attempted murder and arson, including possession of a destructive device, exploding or igniting a destructive device with the intent to murder. If found guilty, Moreno-Gama could face 19 years to life in prison, Jenkins said.

At the federal level, Moreno-Gama is charged with attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm.

U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said the DOJ’s investigation is still developing, but if evidence shows Moreno-Gama attempted to execute the attacks to sway public policy, or coerce government or public officials, it could be treated as an act of domestic terrorism.

“It is okay to disagree, it is okay to debate, this is a country that was built on both,” Missakian said. “But remember, the truth is often found in that very narrow space where two competing ideas come together and clash, and we will not tolerate any attempt to change the way Americans live and work or think through fear or violence.”

In the months leading up to Friday’s attack, a person writing under the same name as Moreno-Gama published a series of posts on Substack about the danger of artificial intelligence, calling it an existential threat, and referring to Altman as a pathological liar. The articles also include allegations of criminal conduct against Altman, for which the writer said, “he has faced zero consequences and is very likely to never face any, given his deep connections and ample resources.”

“This should be a moment where our nation reflects on the often incendiary rhetoric that is being used in discussions about artificial intelligence and its future impact on our society,” Jenkins said. “In no way should we have hit the point where a man could have lost his life over differences of opinion and concerns.”

Following Friday’s incident, Altman published a photograph of his daughter and husband on his online blog, alluding to a possible connection between the growing fear of AI and the attack.

“I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me,” he wrote.

Altman went on to reference an “incendiary” article published about him days prior, likely referring to a critical New Yorker piece about the head of OpenAI, which was published earlier this month.

“Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside,” Altman wrote. “Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives.”

On Sunday, a second incident appeared to target Altman’s home, the San Francisco Standard reported. According to a police report obtained by the publication, two people detained for negligent discharge of a firearm early Sunday fired shots outside of Altman’s home.

The District Attorney’s office said it does not have any evidence that the incidents are related.

Moreno-Gama is currently in state custody and is expected to appear in district court on Tuesday afternoon. A federal court date has not yet been set. The charges announced Monday came hours after the FBI conducted a search at his home in Texas.

The two people detained early Sunday also remained in custody as of Monday afternoon, according to the city’s jail logs. No court date has been set.