Notorious conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in multi-crore scams, has made an audacious investment offer to OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, reported the Hindustan Times.
According to the publication, Chandrashekar expressed his desire to invest $1 billion in the artificial intelligence firm’s Indian operations and pledged to extend this to $2 billion over the next five years in a letter addressed to Altman.
“As you and your company are now working towards becoming a part of India’s National AI Agenda, I want to play a small role by making an investment in OpenAI of $1 billion immediately and further extend it to another $2 billion over the next five years for your Indian operations,” Chandrashekar reportedly stated.
Displaying a flair for the dramatic, he further stated, “Sam, why go to venture capital investors? Why should the big boys always have the fun? Sam, please just take my money.”
Despite his ongoing legal battles, Chandrashekar likened his journey to that of Altman’s, claiming to have built a business empire from scratch, albeit with what he called “baggage” in the form of “false allegations and legal cases.”
Chandrashekar, who remains imprisoned on charges of fraud and money laundering under the Enforcement Directorate’s investigation, asserted that he had established a “successful online gaming and betting platform” that reportedly generates close to $3 billion annually. He claimed his businesses operate outside India and expressed a keen interest in investing in the country’s burgeoning tech and AI sectors.
Reportedly, the letter, sent from one of India’s largest prisons through legal firm Anantam Legal, has raised eyebrows, with many questioning the legitimacy of such an investment offer from a man mired in financial crimes. Neither OpenAI nor Sam Altman has publicly responded to Chandrashekar’s proposal.
The development adds yet another bizarre twist to the conman’s controversial career, leaving experts sceptical about his claims and the feasibility of his investment aspirations.
