Meta’s new stock option plan and what it means for its AI push

Meta Platforms has rolled out a stock option programme for its senior leadership team, in a bid to hold on to key talent as competition in artificial intelligence intensifies.

The incentive plan covers Chief Financial Officer Susan Li, Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and Chief Operating Officer Javier Olivan, according to SEC filings. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is not part of the plan.

The options will vest only if the company hits steep stock price targets within a fixed window, a structure designed to tie executive payouts directly to shareholder value creation.

What is Meta’s new stock options plan?

For the lowest tranche of options to kick in, Meta's stock must climb at least 88.2% to $1,116.08 per share. The most aggressive tranche demands a more than 6x jump, requiring the stock to hit $3,727.12. Meta shares closed at $592.92 on March 24.

The company has set February 14, 2028, as the deadline for meeting these targets. If the milestones are not reached in time, unvested options will be released in tranches through August 15, 2030. Any unexercised options will lapse entirely in March 2031.

In addition to the stock options, most executives will also receive an increase in restricted stock awards totalling $170 million at the last close, vesting on a quarterly basis.  

Why is Meta offering stock options to top executives?

Meta is trying to retain talent at a time when the AI race is intensifying. Rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google have launched popular AI products, while Meta is still working to sharpen its strategy.

The company spent much of 2025 reorganising its AI efforts after its Llama 4 models failed to attract strong developer interest. It also invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and hired its founder, Alexandr Wang, to lead its new AI unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs.

At the same time, Meta is offering very high pay packages to attract top AI researchers and plans to spend up to $135 billion in 2026 on AI infrastructure.