Produced by: Manoj Kumar
A $100 million paycheck in Year One? Meta's jaw-dropping offers to AI talent are sending shockwaves through Silicon Valley—forcing rivals to scramble, and resetting industry norms overnight.
With 11 ex-OpenAI researchers already onboard, Meta's recruitment drive reads like a high-stakes heist movie—complete with tension, accusations, and billion-dollar consequences.
Top minds aren’t just switching jobs—they’re switching allegiances. Meta’s ultra-luxury contracts are creating a vacuum at rival firms, sparking fears of a long-term innovation slowdown elsewhere.
By stockpiling elite researchers like prized assets, Meta isn’t just hiring—it’s staging a calculated takeover of the future of intelligence. And every hire is a power play.
OpenAI is reeling. Faced with Meta’s open checkbook, it’s being forced to rewrite compensation playbooks just to hold the line—while morale and momentum hang in the balance.
Sam Altman isn’t hiding his fury. Accusations of aggressive poaching and hiring "B-list" backups reveal just how personal—and messy—the battle for AI dominance has become.
Forget stock options. Meta's offering cold, hard cash—upfront. Sources say some researchers earned more in a signing bonus than their entire previous four-year contract combined.
The defections are happening quietly, but their impact will be loud. Insiders warn that Meta’s hiring spree could delay or derail key AI projects at other firms for months—or even years.
This isn’t just about salaries—it’s about shaping what AI becomes. Meta’s superlab isn’t just research; it’s a bet on defining the next era of intelligence itself.