Stockholm's stock exchange opened lower on Monday following the failure of Iran peace negotiations, according to multiple reports. The broad index OMXSPI fell 1.0% and the large-cap index OMXS30 dropped 1.1% at the opening. Concurrently, oil prices rose sharply by almost 8%, trading at $101.50 per barrel early Monday morning, as the breakdown in talks heightened geopolitical tensions and supply concerns.
In a separate development, two people were arrested after a suspected shooting outside OpenAI founder Sam Altman's home in San Francisco, according to multiple reports. The incident occurred just before 03:00 local time, marking the second security breach at Altman's residence in a short period; days earlier, a man was arrested for throwing a Molotov cocktail at the house. Police have not commented on whether shots were fired at Altman or his home, and it remains unclear if anyone was injured.
Contradictory reports have emerged regarding the nature of the incidents at Altman's home. While some sources describe a suspected shooting, others detail only a Molotov cocktail attack. A man threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home in San Francisco early Friday morning, an incident for which the suspect was arrested and no one was injured. Police in the United States said the suspect targeted the property at about 4am local time, allegedly throwing an improvised incendiary device that ignited part of an exterior gate before fleeing the scene on foot. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect or confirm the address where the attack took place, though a spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the incident took place at Altman’s residence.
The suspect in the Molotov cocktail attack has been identified as Daniel Moreno-Gama, a 20-year-old Texas college student, according to multiple reports. Daniel Moreno-Gama is opposed to artificial intelligence and wrote about AI's purported risk to humanity, according to a federal criminal complaint. Authorities said he traveled from Texas to San Francisco intending to kill Altman. When Moreno-Gama was arrested Friday, officials found a document on him in which he identified views opposed to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the executives of various AI companies, court documents say. Moreno-Gama, an anti-AI campaigner, had previously appeared on a podcast under a pseudonym to discuss his opposition to artificial intelligence and reportedly mused about targeting some tech CEOs in an internet chat, according to a report.
Detailed evidence from the attack includes surveillance video images showing a person dressed in a dark hoodie and pants that the FBI alleges is Moreno-Gama approaching the driveway of Altman’s home, tossing the Molotov cocktail, which landed at the top of a metal gate and started a small fire. Police said Daniel Moreno-Gama threw the incendiary device about 4 am Friday, setting an exterior gate at Altman’s home alight before fleeing on foot. Less than an hour later, Daniel Moreno-Gama allegedly went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles away and threatened to burn down the building. Surveillance video images from outside OpenAI’s headquarters allegedly show Moreno-Gama grabbing a chair and using it to hit a set of glass doors.
Daniel Moreno-Gama faces charges including two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson in California state court, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. She alleged he tried to kill both Altman and a security guard at Altman's residence. He is set to appear in court Tuesday, and online state court records do not yet show if he has an attorney. He has also been charged by federal prosecutors with possession of an unregistered firearm and damage and destruction of property by means of explosives, according to multiple reports. Those federal charges carry respective penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years in prison. The federal court documents do not list an attorney for Moreno-Gama, and he has not yet had his first appearance in federal court. Moreno-Gama faces federal and California state charges, including attempted murder and arson, with his public defender arguing the incident was a property crime driven by an acute mental health crisis.
Have underestimated the power of words.
Police investigation into the incidents continues with several unknowns. On Monday morning, FBI agents went to Moreno-Gama’s home in Spring, Texas, where they spent several hours before leaving, according to multiple reports. In a post on the social media platform X, the police department said that a residence in the North Beach neighbourhood was affected. Police have not indicated a possible motive behind the attack, according to research sources. OpenAI said it is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation continues.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns around OpenAI’s offices, which have faced threats and protests in recent months, according to research sources. Just last November, a man making violent threats to its San Francisco headquarters briefly prompted an office lockdown. Altman and the company have increasingly become targets for activists who warn about the risks artificial intelligence could pose to society. Critics have also raised alarm over OpenAI’s decision to collaborate with the US Department of Defense, a move that has intensified scrutiny of the company’s role in military technology.
Public sentiment towards AI remains mixed. A recent NBC News poll found that the technology is viewed even less favourably than US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency responsible for violent immigration raids under President Donald Trump, according to research sources. Despite the criticism, OpenAI’s growth has accelerated rapidly. The company said last month it was valued at $852bn, following a major funding round that raised $122bn. Companies like OpenAI, however, face lingering questions about whether they can generate sufficient revenue to cover their high expenses. One of OpenAI’s signature products, ChatGPT, continues to dominate the consumer AI market, with more than 900 million weekly active users and about 50 million subscribers. The company also said usage of its search features has tripled over the past year.
In other news, dolls with the faces of Ebba Busch (KD), Jimmie Åkesson (SD), and Reza Pahlavi were hung in nooses at Sergelstorg in Stockholm during Pahlavi's visit to the parliament, according to multiple reports. A sign above read 'Folkmördare, bödlar och lakejer' (Mass murderers, executioners, and lackeys). Pahlavi is the son of Iran's last shah and is in Sweden at the invitation of the Sweden Democrats and Christian Democrats.
Hungary's currency strengthened significantly after the weekend election, reaching its highest level against the euro since April 2022, according to multiple reports. Péter Magyar's social conservative party Tisza won a two-thirds majority (supermajority) in parliament, while outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party Fidesz failed completely. From market perspectives, the supermajority for Tisza is expected to further strengthen the currency as the party is anticipated to move closer to the EU.
German airline Lufthansa canceled flights, including to and from the Nordics, due to a pilot strike over wage and pension disputes, according to multiple reports. The strike involves hundreds of flights over two days. For Sweden, departures to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich from Arlanda are canceled, and Copenhagen Airport Kastrup is also affected with canceled departures.
At least 1,639 people were executed in Iran last year, according to two human rights organizations, as reported by multiple sources.