A $11 million cryptocurrency theft on Saturday night in San Francisco targeted the house of a tech investor who had previously dated ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman, according to police sources and persons familiar with their past connection who spoke to The Post.
In the doorbell camera footage shared on social media, the armed burglar pretended to be a deliveryman and buzzed the $4.4 million Dorland Street residence while carrying a white package.
The crypto theft
The guy pretends to work for a UPS affiliate and asks for “Joshua,” feigning to have a box for him. When the victim opens the door, he introduces himself as Joshua.
After getting the homeowner to sign for the parcel, the robber searches his pocket and asks if he may borrow a pen. A loud boom is heard as the suspect follows the resident inside.
According to police sources, the suspect entered the house, pulled a gun on the occupant, tied him up with duct tape, drained his cryptocurrency accounts, and took the victim’s laptop and phone. The victim had minor injuries, including bruises, when police arrived around 6:45 PM.
According to a source with knowledge of the inquiry, the shooter grabbed $11 million worth of Ethereum and Bitcoin in what is thought to be a targeted strike by an organised crime gang.
The victim was beaten, bound, and subjected to torture as the attacker put up a phone on a loudspeaker and revealed intimate details about him to foreign speakers on the line. The insider told The Post that after dousing the victim with liquid, the robber spent around ninety minutes emptying his cryptocurrency accounts.
The history with Altman
According to those with knowledge of their connection, Altman, 40, of Open AI, dated homeowner Lachy Groom, 31, a venture entrepreneur, at some point before his marriage in 2024.
According to property records, Groom paid $1.8 million to purchase the home from Altman’s brother in 2021. Their relationship’s specifics have never been made public.
Rising crypto thefts
The bold crime takes place during a period when thefts involving cryptocurrencies seem to be increasing. According to reports, hackers have targeted cryptocurrency investors in an attempt to get access to accounts worth millions of dollars.
A little child in Los Angeles is allegedly kidnapped by a former LAPD officer and a suspected Israeli criminal, who threatened to murder and waterboard him if he didn’t give over his cryptocurrencies.
Recently, the British Columbia court brought attention to a horrifying, violent home invasion in 2024 in which a Canadian family was sexually abused, beaten, waterboarded, and robbed of $1.6 million worth of cryptocurrency.
The judgment in this verdict describes what has recently come to light as one of Canada’s most serious “wrench attack” cases. One of the accused pleaded guilty to his crimes and was sentenced to 7 years in prison.