Mira Murati says Meta’s billion-dollar bid failed as “not a single person accepted”

Highlights

• Meta reportedly offered up to $1 billion in compensation to lure AI researchers from Thinking Machines Lab
  
• Mira Murati says none of her team accepted the offer
  
• Meta disputes the scale and nature of the reported offers
  
• Thinking Machines Lab valued at $1 billion without launching a product
  
• Team said to value independence and mission over large corporate backing
  

Mira Murati, former Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI and now founder of Thinking Machines Lab (TML), has said that none of her team members accepted offers from Meta to join its newly launched Superintelligence Lab, despite compensation reportedly reaching as high as $1 billion.

According to a report by Wired, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attempted to recruit top researchers from Murati’s company, offering packages ranging from $200 million to $1 billion over several years. Murati told the publication,

“So far at Thinking Machines Lab, not a single person has taken the offer.”

Meta disputes figures and framing

In response, Meta’s communications director Andy Stone challenged the accuracy of the claims. Speaking to Wired, Stone said,

“We made offers only to a handful of people at TML and while there was one sizeable offer, the details are off. At the end of the day, this all begs the question who is spinning this narrative and why.”

While neither company disclosed specific names or contractual details, the story has sparked broader discussion about the competition to hire elite AI talent amid growing investment in superintelligence research.

Thinking Machines Lab gains attention without product launch

Founded by Murati, Thinking Machines Lab has rapidly gained attention in the tech world. The company recently raised funding at a $1 billion valuation, even though it has yet to release a product.

Industry insiders attribute this to Murati’s vision and leadership, which are believed to be central to the team’s loyalty and resistance to outside offers.

Team focused on independence and long-term mission

Sources close to the startup suggest that TML researchers are motivated by the chance to build transformative AI technology independently, free from the oversight of large tech corporations.

The company’s internal culture reportedly prioritises scientific autonomy, mission-driven research, and ethical development, which many see as crucial differentiators in the competitive AI landscape.