SAN FRANCISCO — The man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home allegedly made comments referencing the so-called “Luigi” figure while talking on an anti-AI Discord server last December, according to Misryoum reporting.
The allegations paint a grim picture of how some online communities talk about violence — and how quickly those conversations can spill into real life. In this case, Misryoum newsroom reported the suspect, Daniel Moreno-Gama, reportedly asked whether violence was allowed to be discussed on the server, referencing accused killer Luigi Mangione.
Mangione is currently awaiting trial for the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in late 2024. Moreno-Gama, meanwhile, was arrested near the North Beach neighborhood headquarters of OpenAI last Friday after police said he was “threatening to burn down the building.” San Francisco Police identified him as the same person involved with an incident at Altman’s home earlier that morning, and he was subsequently charged with attempted murder and attempted arson.
Altman, as the top exec at the company behind ChatGPT, is one of the most recognizable, respected and reviled figures from Silicon Valley’s AI boom. Misryoum newsroom reported screenshots of Moreno-Gama’s comments were captured by a team member from the investigative podcast “The Last Invention,” who connected with Moreno-Gama online and later arranged for him to be interviewed.
During the recorded interview, Moreno-Gama reportedly tried to soften the meaning of his own words. Misryoum editorial desk noted that he downplayed the remarks, telling host Andy Mills that what he said “shouldn’t be taken too literally.” The interview materials described Moreno-Gama responding that people “kind of say that all the time” and saying he “didn’t really mean that as a threat or anything.” Actually, the most pointed part is the response that followed Mills’s attempt to clarify what the comments meant.
Misryoum newsroom reported Mills suggested the guest was trying to be “provocative,” which Moreno-Gama allegedly confirmed. “Yes, that’s kind of my idea. I’d rather be provocative with my statements than actually promote something like that.” Mills then reportedly asked a direct question — whether Moreno-Gama thought it would be wise for someone to say “let’s kill Sam Altman?” Moreno-Gama responded “no” and later added that “it’s not worth it.”
There’s more, too, and it’s the part that makes the story feel less like a single bad moment and more like a mindset that had been rehearsing itself. In a piece published by Misryoum Wednesday, Mills recalled Moreno-Gama telling him that while he did not condone health insurance CEO Thompson’s murder, he felt that what he and others “saw with Mangione” was that “a lot of people were able to excuse it.” Misryoum editorial team stated Mills said Moreno-Gama added, “I think that’s interesting,” he reportedly added — and then, the thread kind of… sort of lingers there, because that’s where online talk and real-world consequences start to look related.
Back in the courtroom system, Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court on Dec. 18, 2025. For Moreno-Gama, the case now sits with allegations that go beyond rhetoric, involving charges of attempted murder and attempted arson tied to events in San Francisco that officials say were meant to threaten and burn.
On a cool San Francisco morning, you could hear engines idling outside the police perimeter — that steady, metallic hum that makes everything feel more immediate. In cases like this, it’s hard not to wonder when someone decides that words aren’t enough anymore.
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