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Why Meta's billion-dollar AI talent hunt flopped
Meta tried to lure AI experts from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab with jaw-dropping offers—one person was even offered $1 billion over a multi-year span, while others got $200-$500 million deals to be vested over four years.
But despite the eye-popping numbers, everyone turned Meta down.
The bigger picture
Turns out, it wasn't just about the money. Many weren't comfortable with the leadership at Meta's Superintelligence Labs, especially concerns around Alexandr Wang's style and experience.
Plus, the team wasn't inspired by Meta's plan to use AI for Facebook and Instagram—they wanted to chase bigger, OpenAI-level breakthroughs instead.
This shows even tech giants can struggle to win over top talent if their vision doesn't click.