An entrepreneur in Las Vegas said he received a severed pig’s head, covered in blood, along with a menacing letter at his family home, shortly after speaking publicly about his company’s use of artificial intelligence in the property sector.
Blake Owens, founder and chief executive of Agrippa, told KLAS 8 News Now the delivery arrived on July 29, days after a television news segment aired featuring his interview about an AI-assisted real estate transaction.
The package contained the animal’s head and a handwritten note filled with insults and warnings. In a photograph of the letter published by the outlet, the sender referred to Owens as a “Clark Kent knockoff” and accused him of misunderstanding the property business.
“A simple Google search goes a long way these days, especially in Vegas. Saw your Marcus video — what a joke. ‘AI’ is not going to replace brokers. Clearly you don’t understand real estate wasn’t built by developers or investors,” the note read.
It continued with a direct dismissal of Owens’ role: “And it sure as hell wasn’t built by tech guys in Lululemon. It was built by brokers. We did it the hard way. No shortcuts, no tech, just people. So enjoy your moment while it lasts. And don’t get greedy because pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.”
The letter, signed only with the initial “M”, was sent to Owens’ family address. Owens said the gesture, while disturbing, did not make him feel he was in immediate danger:
“Perhaps this person watched too much of The Godfather. Needless to say, I still take it very seriously, but don’t feel like I’m being truly threatened. It was a message.”
The CEO speculated that the sender could be someone in the real estate sector anxious about losing work to AI.
“I understand this person is probably just frustrated that business isn’t going well for them, and then they see AI replacement stories on top of that,” he said.
Despite the shocking nature of the delivery, Owens said he had no intention of seeking prosecution if the culprit was found.
“I don’t want to punch down on this person; they may be in a tough spot in life. I do see this as an opportunity to show people you don’t become a better person by making another man a lesser person.”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed it had opened an investigation. No arrests have been made and the sender remains unidentified.
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