Meta’s billion-dollar AI offer rejected by startup team sparks industry buzz
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 31, 2025, 23:08 IST
( Image credit : TIL Creatives )
Meta faced a setback in its AI recruitment efforts. Thinking Machines Lab rejected Meta's job offers. The offers included a potential $1 billion package. Mira Murati's team declined the incentives. Meta aims to boost its AI capabilities. The company is competing with OpenAI and Google DeepMind. Thinking Machines recently secured $2 billion in funding.
In a dramatic turn in the fierce competition for artificial intelligence talent, Meta’s ambitious attempt to lure top researchers with eye-popping pay packages has hit an unexpected roadblock. Mira Murati, founder of the San Francisco-based startup Thinking Machines Lab, revealed that her entire 50-member team turned down lucrative job offers from Meta—including a staggering $1 billion compensation proposal. This revelation shines a spotlight on the escalating war for AI minds and the shifting dynamics of tech recruitment.
Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has been aggressively hunting AI experts to accelerate its advancements in the field. The social media giant recently consolidated its AI initiatives under the Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), aiming to regain a leadership position in a market dominated by rivals like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic. According to reports, Meta dangled offers ranging between $200 million and $1 billion over multiple years, combining hefty salaries with stock options and extended vesting schedules.
Despite these unprecedented incentives, Murati confirmed that no one on her team accepted Meta’s overtures. The former CTO of OpenAI, Murati is recognized as one of the most influential figures in AI today, and her decision reflects a strong internal commitment to Thinking Machines’ mission and culture. “So far at Thinking Machines Lab, not a single person has taken the offer,” she told Wired magazine.
Meta, however, has pushed back on the reported figures. Spokesperson Andy Stone called the billion-dollar claim exaggerated and questioned the motivations behind the leak, stating, “This all begs the question, who is spinning this narrative and why?” Nonetheless, the company’s recruitment blitz—marked by direct outreach from Zuckerberg himself—underscores its determination to compete aggressively in the AI arena.
Thinking Machines itself is garnering significant attention in the industry. Despite having no consumer product on the market yet, the startup recently raised $2 billion in fresh funding, boosting its valuation to $12 billion. Murati disclosed plans to launch the company’s first product within months, featuring open-source elements aimed at fostering collaboration within the AI community.
This rare combination of elite talent, deep pockets, and a strong startup vision makes Thinking Machines a coveted prize for competitors like Meta. Yet the refusal to jump ship signals a potential shift in the AI labor market: not every researcher is motivated solely by money. Murati’s public stance also raises questions about whether the decision is purely ethical or partly a strategic branding move to position her company as independent and values-driven amid scrutiny of the tech industry’s practices.
Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, now headed by Alexandr Wang of Scale AI and Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, represent a strategic pivot towards long-term AI innovation. The company aims to fast-track development of advanced AI technologies in an increasingly competitive environment, where lucrative offers have become common. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also confirmed that some of his team received nine-figure packages from Meta in recent months, highlighting how critical AI talent is to future corporate growth and influence.
As the AI race intensifies, the saga between Meta and Thinking Machines may only be the beginning. With further funding rounds, product announcements, and talent battles on the horizon, all eyes will remain on leaders like Murati and Zuckerberg to see who shapes the future of artificial intelligence.
Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has been aggressively hunting AI experts to accelerate its advancements in the field. The social media giant recently consolidated its AI initiatives under the Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), aiming to regain a leadership position in a market dominated by rivals like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic. According to reports, Meta dangled offers ranging between $200 million and $1 billion over multiple years, combining hefty salaries with stock options and extended vesting schedules.
Despite these unprecedented incentives, Murati confirmed that no one on her team accepted Meta’s overtures. The former CTO of OpenAI, Murati is recognized as one of the most influential figures in AI today, and her decision reflects a strong internal commitment to Thinking Machines’ mission and culture. “So far at Thinking Machines Lab, not a single person has taken the offer,” she told Wired magazine.
Meta, however, has pushed back on the reported figures. Spokesperson Andy Stone called the billion-dollar claim exaggerated and questioned the motivations behind the leak, stating, “This all begs the question, who is spinning this narrative and why?” Nonetheless, the company’s recruitment blitz—marked by direct outreach from Zuckerberg himself—underscores its determination to compete aggressively in the AI arena.
Thinking Machines itself is garnering significant attention in the industry. Despite having no consumer product on the market yet, the startup recently raised $2 billion in fresh funding, boosting its valuation to $12 billion. Murati disclosed plans to launch the company’s first product within months, featuring open-source elements aimed at fostering collaboration within the AI community.
This rare combination of elite talent, deep pockets, and a strong startup vision makes Thinking Machines a coveted prize for competitors like Meta. Yet the refusal to jump ship signals a potential shift in the AI labor market: not every researcher is motivated solely by money. Murati’s public stance also raises questions about whether the decision is purely ethical or partly a strategic branding move to position her company as independent and values-driven amid scrutiny of the tech industry’s practices.
Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, now headed by Alexandr Wang of Scale AI and Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, represent a strategic pivot towards long-term AI innovation. The company aims to fast-track development of advanced AI technologies in an increasingly competitive environment, where lucrative offers have become common. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also confirmed that some of his team received nine-figure packages from Meta in recent months, highlighting how critical AI talent is to future corporate growth and influence.
As the AI race intensifies, the saga between Meta and Thinking Machines may only be the beginning. With further funding rounds, product announcements, and talent battles on the horizon, all eyes will remain on leaders like Murati and Zuckerberg to see who shapes the future of artificial intelligence.