Texas suspect charged in firebombing of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home

The Justice Department says a 20-year-old man tried to firebomb the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, one of the most prominent out officials in Silicon Valley.

Daniel Moreno-Gama has been charged in federal court with attempted destruction of property by means of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of California.

Prosecutors allege Moreno-Gama traveled from Texas to San Francisco and threw a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s residence in the early morning hours, igniting a fire at the property’s gate before fleeing. There were no injuries, according to the Washington Post.

Authorities say Moreno-Gama later went to OpenAI’s headquarters, where he attempted to break in and told security he intended to burn down the building and “kill anyone inside,” according to court records. He was arrested at the scene, and investigators say they recovered incendiary materials, including a jug of kerosene and a lighter.

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The complaint also describes a multi-part document in Moreno-Gama’s possession that outlines opposition to artificial intelligence and names tech leaders. The writings frame AI as an existential threat tied to “our impending extinction,” and include statements advocating violence.

“If I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message,” the document states, according to court filings.

The alleged firebombing came just days before a separate incident involving gunfire near the same property. Early Sunday morning, a shot was fired from a moving vehicle outside Altman’s Russian Hill home, and two suspects were later arrested on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Police recovered multiple firearms during the investigation. No injuries were reported

Altman, the creator of ChatGPT, has become a polarizing figure in Silicon Valley and beyond, as debates over artificial intelligence grow more urgent and more contentious. He previously criticized President Donald Trump’s policies as “terrible,” but later said the president “will be incredible for the country in many ways."

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That evolution placed him on a recent cover of The Advocate alongside fellow gay CEOs Tim Cook and Peter Thiel, in a piece about the political alignment of powerful LGBTQ+ business leaders.

Authorities have not identified a clear partisan motive, and the complaint suggests the alleged attack was driven primarily by Moreno-Gama’s anti-AI ideology.

Altman has increasingly become the public face of the U.S. debate over artificial intelligence. He co-founded OpenAI and returned to lead the company after a brief ouster, with backing from a major investment from Microsoft. He was later named Time’s CEO of the year.

“We want to keep pushing on the frontier of AI research and figure out how to build this great technology and then also figure out how to make it useful to people and get it into their hands,” Altman told The Advocate in a previous interview.