San Francisco Apartment Where Sam Altman’s ChatGPT Was Born Is Listed for $1.55 Million

The sun-filled San Francisco apartment where OpenAI CEO Sam Altman helped to create the earliest iterations of ChatGPT has hit the market for $1.55 million—less than four years after the chatbot was launched to the public.

Located in the "heart" of the city's bustling Inner Mission neighborhood, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit, which is spread over two stories, is described in its listing as "notably" being the "apartment where OpenAI first took shape."

According to listing agent Shane Ray of Compass, the property was previously rented by Greg Brockman, one of OpenAI's six co-founders—and this unit was where he and Altman, 40, first brought the company's flagship product to life.

"Greg’s living room served as the original ‘office’ for the small startup—before they moved to OpenAI headquarters," Ray explained to SFGate.

The property's ties to the rise of OpenAI and ChatGPT will gain even more attention in the coming months, when its exterior will be featured in "Artificial," a new movie about Altman's controversial firing and rehiring at the company in 2023.

According to Ray, the façade of the apartment building was used in the filming of the movie, which stars Andrew Garfield as Altman and which is due for release later this year.

Altman and Brockman—who co-founded OpenAI with Elon Musk, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman in December 2015—released the earliest demo version of ChatGPT to the public in November 2022.

Just one year later, however, it was revealed that Altman had been ousted from his role at the company by its board, who released a statement in which they voiced doubt over his "ability to continue leading."

However, after the company faced outcry from employees, investors, and members of the public, Altman was reinstated just a few days later. He has served as CEO of the company ever since—and in March, OpenAI was valued at a staggering $852 billion, according to Forbes.

For years, OpenAI operated out of a San Francisco office space that was leased by Musk. After he split from the company in 2018, the business moved to a much larger headquarters in the city.

It's not known exactly when ChatGPT moved from the Inner Mission apartment to the company's HQ. However, the apartment where Altman and Brockman are said to have worked on the chatbot was listed for sale in September 2024 with the same $1.55 million asking price.

The listing described the property as being a "luxurious light-filled" dwelling "within a classic 1885 Victorian." It appears to have undergone several upgrades since Altman and Brockman used it as their workspace.

"This three-bedroom, two-bathroom residence combines dramatic volume, modern design, and architectural character," the listing continues. "Delivered vacant and move-in ready, it is a modern gem in one of San Francisco's most dynamic neighborhoods.

"Spanning two expansive levels, the home is defined by openness and a sense of calm but all within steps of the vibrant energy of the Mission."

The listing adds: "Thoughtful upgrades and updated systems throughout provide both comfort and functionality."

The living room that served as the "office" space for Brockman and Altman is located on the main floor and features "soaring vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, and wide-plank white oak floors."

Replete with windows, the space is flooded with natural light, helping to give it a much more expansive feel, further emphasized by the open layout.

The kitchen is described as being an ideal place for "everyday living and entertaining," offering an array of "high-end appliances" and "ample space to gather."

Located on the second floor, the primary suite, which comes with its own bathroom, offers private access to a deck that overlooks the shared garden. The description noted that there is plenty of potential for "future roof decking" to expand the outdoor space.

The other two bedrooms can be found on the main floor of the home, as well as the additional bathroom.

"This home strikes a rare balance of dramatic design and everyday livability, blending modern refinement with classic San Francisco architecture," the listing concludes.

The dwelling is located about 25 minutes away from Altman's compound in Russian Hill, which he spent several years compiling—and which was recently the target of two suspected attacks, one involving a Molotov cocktail and the other involving gunfire.

The San Francisco Police Department issued a statement on April 12 confirming that two suspects—Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Tarik Hussein, 23—had been taken into custody after officers responded to "a suspicious occurrence of possible shots fired."

While the statement did not mention Altman, it noted that the incident took place in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, where the billionaire lives. The San Francisco Standard later reported that the incident had taken place at Altman's address.

"Through the course of the investigation, officers learned that a vehicle with two occupants drove past a residence around the time of the possible shooting," the SFPD noted. "Investigators assigned to the Special Investigation Division (SID) took over the investigation and determined the vehicle belonged to 25-year-old Amanda Tom of San Francisco.

"Officers responded to the 2000 block of Taylor Street and detained Tom and 23-year-old Muhamad Tarik Hussein without incident. A search warrant for the residence was conducted, and officers located and seized three firearms. Investigators developed probable cause to arrest Amanda Tom and Muhamad Hussein."

Tom and Hussein were taken to the San Francisco County Jail, where they were booked for negligent discharge.

That incident came just two days after Altman's Russian Hill residence was reportedly targeted by another suspect, who is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the property—before making violent threats outside the OpenAI headquarters elsewhere in the city.

According to a statement issued by OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, the alleged attack took place in the early morning of April 10.

"Early this morning, someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's home and also made threats at our San Francisco headquarters," the statement read, as first reported by Wired.

"Thankfully, no one was hurt. We deeply appreciate how quickly [the San Francisco Police Department] responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we're assisting law enforcement with their investigation."

The San Francisco Police Department confirmed to NBC News in a separate statement that officers had responded to "a fire investigation" at an address in the North Beach neighborhood at around 4:12 a.m.

According to police dispatcher audio obtained by the outlet, a person could be heard saying, "Someone threw a Molotov cocktail slash sticky bomb at the gate of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI’s residence."

The police department said that officers who responded to the call found that an unknown man had thrown "an incendiary destructive device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate," before fleeing the scene on foot.

A description of the man was then circulated to all on-duty officers in the area.

Less than an hour later, police responded to reports of "an unknown male threatening to burn down" a corporate building on the street where OpenAI's headquarters is located. The man was identified by police as the same person who had been spotted outside of Altman's personal address.

"When officers arrived on scene, they recognized the male to be the same suspect from the earlier incident and immediately detained him," the police confirmed, identifying the suspect only as a 20-year-old man.