OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that Meta is trying to lure his top staff with massive financial incentives, specifically, $100 million signing bonuses.
Speaking on his brother Jack Altman’s Uncapped podcast, Altman said Meta has been making aggressive moves to poach some of OpenAI’s best talent.
“They started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team,” Altman said. “You know, like $100 million signing bonuses.”
Despite the jaw-dropping figures, Altman claims none of his key team members have taken the bait. “None of our best people have decided to take them up on that,” he said.
The move is part of Meta’s push to level up its artificial intelligence efforts, which Altman suggests haven’t hit the mark yet. Meta recently invested $14 billion to buy a 49% stake in Scale AI, a startup that supplies data for training AI models. But according to Altman, the company’s broader AI strategy still lacks punch.
“Their current AI efforts have not worked as well as they have hoped,” he said. “I respect being aggressive and continuing to try new things. There’s many things I respect about Meta as a company, but I don’t think they’re a company that’s great at innovation. I think we understand a lot of things they don’t.”
Meta has not issued a response to the claims.
Experts say this talent tug-of-war highlights how valuable elite AI researchers and engineers have become in today’s tech landscape. Indranil Bandyopadhyay, principal analyst at Forrester, told the BBC that such offers reflect the belief that a few top-tier individuals can dramatically shift the balance in the AI race.
“Whether this intense level of investment is sustainable remains to be seen,” Bandyopadhyay said, “but for now, the AI gold rush continues at a breakneck pace, with talent at its most precious and fiercely contested resource.”
The $100 million offers underscore a broader trend in Silicon Valley, where companies are battling over a limited pool of high-impact AI talent. As firms like Meta double down on AI, they’re willing to spend big to get an edge, sometimes more than some startups raise in a full funding round.
Altman, meanwhile, seems confident that OpenAI’s mission and team culture are more powerful than any check Meta can cut. While the financial numbers are staggering, he implies that OpenAI’s people believe in something bigger than just a paycheck.
The talent wars in AI are clearly just getting started. But for now, OpenAI appears to be holding its ground.
Ethan Cross is a tech journalist and analyst with a passion for gaming, AI, and emerging innovations. With years of experience covering hardware, software, and industry trends, he breaks down complex tech topics into engaging, accessible insights. Whether it’s the latest gaming hardware, smartphone innovations, AI breakthroughs, or startup disruptions, Ethan delivers sharp, in-depth coverage that keeps readers ahead of the curve. His expertise spans gaming reviews, software updates, blockchain, and industry shake-ups, ensuring that no major tech development goes unnoticed.
