OpenAI whistleblower’s death fuels ‘conspiracy theory’ boosted by Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, US congressman

Poornima Ramarao (centre) and Balaji Ramamurthy (right) attend a vigil for their son Suchir Balaji in California. The former OpenAI researcher was found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November. — Bay Area News Group/TNS

Despite San Francisco police repeatedly saying OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji’s death was a suicide, influential figures on both ends of the political spectrum are spreading questions about foul play, raised by the young man’s grieving family, around the world.

Former Fox News provocateur Tucker Carlson, on his Tuesday podcast, spoke with Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao, about her son’s November death, saying he expected to be a potential witness in a lawsuit against his employer, OpenAI. The podcast bore a caption saying Balaji was “likely murdered.”