Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has launched an aggressive bid to poach key talent from Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Insider reports reveal that the company extended offers to more than a dozen specialists, with one proposal exceeding $1 billion over several years and others ranging from $200 million to $500 million over a four-year span.
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Despite the staggering sums, every employee declined Meta’s offers. Speculation points to multiple factors driving this unanimous rejection: many already possess significant wealth, hold substantial equity in their own startup, and express reluctance to work under Zuckerberg’s leadership.
This resistance underscores a strong commitment to Murati’s vision and the independence of Thinking Machines Lab, raising questions about the limits of financial incentives in the competitive AI talent war.
