Meta Offers $100 Million Bonuses to Poach OpenAI Employees

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently disclosed that Meta Platforms has extended signing bonuses of up to $100 million to entice key employees away from OpenAI. This disclosure underscores the intense rivalry within the tech industry, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence, where securing top talent is paramount. The $100 million signing bonuses mentioned by Altman exemplify an extreme measure in a broader trend of escalating AI compensation, which is significantly reshaping the economic landscape of the tech sector.

Altman, speaking on the Uncapped podcast, described Meta’s approach as “insane,” highlighting the staggering financial offers aimed at poaching top talent. He noted that Meta had targeted several key staff members from OpenAI, but none had accepted the offers. This suggests that OpenAI’s employees are either content with their current roles or are deeply committed to the company’s mission and vision, which centers on advancing AI technology for the greater good.

Meta’s aggressive recruitment strategy is driven by its competitive rivalry with OpenAI. Altman mentioned that he had heard Meta regards OpenAI as its biggest competitor. This rivalry is evident in Meta’s efforts to hire top researchers and engineers for its new “superintelligence” division, a part of its larger effort to win the general-purpose AI race and compete directly with companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.

One of Meta’s most aggressive steps came recently when it announced a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, a company that provides data labeling and training services for machine learning. Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang joined Meta’s AI team as part of the investment, indicating a considerable overlap of resources and talent. Meta has also hired leaders from other AI research centers, including Jack Rae, previously a principal researcher at Google DeepMind. These high-profile hires underscore Meta’s commitment to attracting top AI executives, even if it means outspending rivals.

Despite Meta’s exceptionally high offers, Altman expressed confidence that OpenAI could retain its core team. He questioned whether money alone was enough to distract people from meaningful work. He acknowledged that he respected many aspects of Meta but did not believe the company excelled at innovation. Altman emphasized that OpenAI’s mission-driven culture plays a major role in why employees choose to stay, even when presented with large financial offers. He added that there is a cultural risk in turning AI jobs into roles driven purely by compensation, emphasizing that this is not how true innovation happens.

Altman also implied that OpenAI can access insights that Meta cannot. He underscored the company’s commitment to open research, responsible development, and thoughtful scaling of AI technologies. This commitment to a mission-driven culture and innovation sets OpenAI apart from its competitors, making it a formidable player in the AI race.