Meta's Zuckerberg Offers $1bn Pay Deal to AI Researchers Amid Talent War

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta reportedly offered researchers at Thinking Machines, a San Francisco-based AI start-up, packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars to join its AI unit. One researcher was offered $1bn over several years, but no staff have accepted the offers. Thinking Machines raised $2bn at a $12bn valuation last month. Meta disputed the claims, saying it made only a handful of offers.

Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has been actively recruiting top AI talent to bolster its Superintelligence Labs. Recently, the company made headlines with a series of lucrative offers to researchers at Thinking Machines Lab, a startup founded by Mira Murati, a former OpenAI CTO. However, none of the offers, including a staggering $1 billion package, have been accepted [1].

Thinking Machines Lab, valued at $12 billion in its seed round, has seen its valuation rise to $24 billion after a $2 billion funding round [3]. Despite the substantial offers, the entire team at Thinking Machines Lab has declined to join Meta. The decision comes as a surprise, given the eye-watering pay packages that included up to $1 billion over several years [1].

The rejection of Meta's offers may be attributed to several factors. Some researchers may be concerned about Meta's leadership style and the lack of experience of Alexandr Wang, who is leading the Superintelligence Labs [2]. Additionally, there could be a discrepancy between the vision of Thinking Machines Lab and Meta's product roadmap, which some researchers may find less inspiring [2].

Meta has disputed the claims, stating that it made offers to only a handful of people at Thinking Machines. However, the company has confirmed that one of those offers was indeed a significant one, though the details are off [3].

This development underscores the intense competition in the AI sector, where tech giants are vying for top talent. The refusal of Thinking Machines Lab's team to join Meta highlights the importance of a shared vision and culture in attracting and retaining top talent in the AI industry.

References:
[1] https://www.latestly.com/socially/technology/meta-hiring-spree-mira-muratis-entire-team-from-thinking-machines-lab-company-rejects-usd-1-billion-offer-by-mark-zuckerbergs-firm-to-join-superintelligence-labs-7032434.html
[2] https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/top-ai-researcher-rejects-meta-s-staggering-1-billion-offer-report-101753847957945.html
[3] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-researcher-turns-down-1bn-103510945.html