Business • Jul 03, 2025

Ex-OpenAI CTO's startup offers hefty salaries for AI talent

Thinking Machines Lab (TML), started by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is turning heads with its huge salary offers—up to $500,000 a year for early hires—even though it hasn't launched any products yet.
Backed by $2 billion in funding and already valued at $10 billion, TML is clearly aiming big right from the start.

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How TML's salary compares to other tech companies

TML's base salaries are much higher than what most tech companies offer. For context, OpenAI averages about $292K and Anthropic pays around $387K.
TML has also brought on top AI experts like Bob McGrew and Alec Radford from OpenAI, showing just how competitive the race for AI talent has become—even if they're not hiring more people right now.