The family of Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower, has turned to the power of crypto community to fund their legal battle for justice after his untimely and mysterious death. His mother, Poornima Rao, took to social media to raise funds, sharing a Solana wallet address to support the family’s legal efforts.
According to Balaji’s family, the collected funds will go towards retaining an attorney, with the family recently signing a $100,000 retainer agreement as the first step in their fight for clarity over his death.
In a tweet posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Poornima Rao urged supporters to contribute to the cause, emphasizing that this was just the beginning of a long journey. “Please support us in this battle,” she wrote, adding the Solana wallet address: Q4eXHNPsnQoPvsRAdgH6TjT66eWEk7y6JniTd9ru4N3.
Source: Solscan
In a remarkable display of support, donations poured in within just two hours, raising a total of 587.83 SOL (approximately $126,979). The rapid response highlights the widespread concern and desire for justice surrounding the circumstances of Suchir Balaji’s death.
The family’s call for justice comes after significant doubts were cast on the official police report, which initially ruled Balaji’s death as a suicide. According to his family, a second autopsy conducted privately found no conclusive evidence supporting the suicide theory. Poornima Rao has publicly questioned the conclusions of the initial investigation, urging further examination of the facts surrounding her son’s death.
Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old Indian-American researcher who had worked at OpenAI, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, 2023. His identity was revealed to the public only 15 days later. Despite the police’s ruling of suicide, the lack of any evidence pointing to foul play has led the family to seek alternative explanations.
Tech mogul and X CEO Elon Musk has also weighed in on the case, voicing skepticism about the official findings. In response to the news, Musk stated that, unlike the police reports, Balaji’s death “doesn’t seem like a suicide.” His comments have added to the growing public concern and debate over what happened to the young whistleblower.
