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An armed robber posing as a package delivery worker forced his way into a San Francisco home Saturday evening and tortured a tech investor for 90 minutes while draining $11 million in cryptocurrency from his accounts, according to police sources and doorbell camera footage reviewed by The Post.
The suspect, carrying a white box and claiming to work for a UPS affiliate, buzzed the $4.4 million Dorland Street residence asking for “Joshua.” After the victim identified himself and was asked to sign for a package, the attacker followed him inside where a loud bang was heard on the doorbell camera footage posted to social media.
Once inside, the gunman pulled a weapon, bound the victim with duct tape, and held him at gunpoint while voices on a phone loudspeaker read off personal information about him, a source with knowledge of the investigation told The Post.
The attacker poured liquid over the victim and beat him over the course of approximately 90 minutes before successfully draining his Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets and stealing his phone and laptop.
Police arrived at 6:45 PM and found the victim suffering from minor injuries including bruising.
The home is owned by venture capitalist Lachy Groom, 31, who is the ex-boyfriend of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, 40, according to sources with knowledge of their relationship.
The victim, identified only as Joshua, is a fellow tech investor who lives with Groom at the four-bedroom property. Details of Groom and Altman’s relationship have not previously been reported.
Groom purchased the property from Altman’s brother in 2021 for $1.8 million, property records show. The home is now worth $4.4 million according to Zillow and is located in the Mission District, an area popular with tech elite. Mark Zuckerberg once owned a $31 million home in nearby Dolores Heights.
The $11 million theft is believed to be a targeted hit by an organized crime group, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
Groom, an Australian-born entrepreneur, founded four startups and sold three before turning 18, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. He was later recognized as a member of “The Stripe Mafia,” a group of 14 ex-employees of the online payment platform who went on to found venture-backed startups.
“Sam is the most supportive, generous, inspiring person i know. openai has forever changed the world, and i know whatever comes next will be even greater,” Groom posted about Altman on X in November 2023.
“Lachy is one of four people i ask for career advice,” Altman said on X in 2019. Both Groom and Altman declined to comment.
Prominent San Francisco tech investor Garry Tan shared the security footage Monday morning on X, asking for public help tracking down the suspect. “We have to find the perpetrator,” Tan wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “Time is of the essence.”
Tan also warned about cryptocurrency security vulnerabilities. “Self custody of crypto seems like a good idea until it isn’t. Vault storage (at Coinbase or elsewhere) for long term holding is safest,” he said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Kidnappings and home invasions targeting crypto investors are increasing, according to Steve Krystek, CEO of PFC Safeguards, a personal security company.
“A lot of the people who come into this money are flashy, and they’re signaling that they have wealth,” he previously told The Post.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, according to police. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411.
