In brief
- The family of former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji is disputing San Francisco’s conclusion that his 2024 death was a suicide.
- Supporters have raised over $140,000 in crypto and launched a Solana-based meme coin to fund the family’s legal case.
- Balaji had been an outspoken critic of OpenAI’s data practices and a prominent voice in AI ethics.
The family of a former OpenAI researcher found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November 2024 is using Solana-based meme coins to help finance their legal battle with the city.
While the medical examiner ruled Suchir Balaji’s death a suicide and found no evidence of foul play, Balaji’s parents have rejected that conclusion, calling the scene “staged” and have launched their own investigation into what they allege was a botched and allegedly covered-up probe.
Balaji, who had publicly criticized OpenAI for allegedly training ChatGPT on copyrighted material without permission, had been an outspoken figure in the AI ethics debate.
After his death, supporters in the crypto community rallied to the family’s cause, seeing it as both a justice issue and a fight against institutional opacity.
In December, a family friend launched the Justice for Suchir (SUCHIR) token on the Bags.FM meme coin platform with a total supply of 999 million tokens.
The coin briefly peaked at $0.015 on December 29, according to CoinMarketCap, generating $5,000 for the family.
Like many meme coins, it has since crashed 99% from its all-time high.
That effort followed a January 2025 crypto fundraiser that brought in over $140,000 in Solana and other tokens.
“It was overwhelming because we are running out of resources,” Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao, told Decrypt. “Funding through crypto is a great idea—it allows us to keep going when other options have stalled.”
The Solana wallet that received $140,000 hasn’t received a donation since April, according to SolScan, but the wallet linked to the meme coin is still drawing funds.
Ramarao has apparently not been able to retain a lawyer who will take the case on contingency.
One lawyer, who after racking up $25,000 in hourly fees, said he was “too busy” to continue pursuing the case, Romarao said.
A second lawyer has charged her $60,0000 thus far. She said she spent another $115,000 on fees related to an investigation.
In February, the family filed a lawsuit against the City of San Francisco and the SFPD, alleging that investigators withheld records and failed to investigate the case properly.
“Very few investigators know how to get the truth out,” Ramarao said. “This makes it more expensive.”
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