Loyalty Over Billions: Why Meta's Raid on Murati's AI Startup Failed
Mark Zuckerberg’s recent attempt to acquire Mira Murati’s new startup, Thinking Machines Lab, wasn’t just a standard M&A play. When Murati, OpenAI’s former CTO, declined the offer, Meta switched tactics to a full-scale talent raid—and failed spectacularly. This isn’t just industry gossip; it’s a critical signal about where the real value lies in the AI talent war. Meta reportedly approached the startup’s employees with staggering offers. Co-founder and leading researcher Andrew Tulloch was allegedly offered a compensation package worth as much as $1.5 billion over six years. Other offers to researchers ranged from $200 million to a reported $1 billion for a single individual. ...