🔬 Zuckerberg Offered $1.5B to AI Researcher — And Got Rejected

[chainsniff]

Meta’s push for AI dominance hit a wall after Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of Thinking Machines Lab, turned down a $1.5 billion offer to join Mark Zuckerberg’s “superintelligence” lab — according to The Wall Street Journal.

The lab, which Tulloch co-founded with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, reportedly caught Meta’s eye earlier this year. But the team isn’t selling — or switching sides.
The Offer: Up to $1.5 Billion Over 6 Years

According to sources cited by WSJ, Zuckerberg made a direct offer to Tulloch worth around $1 billion in total compensation, with bonuses and stock appreciation bringing it up to $1.5 billion over six years.

Tulloch said no.
So did the rest of the team.
🧠 Meta’s AI Hiring Frenzy

After failing to acquire Thinking Machines Lab, Meta started trying to poach talent individually. Reports say the company reached out to about 12 researchers from the lab.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone denied interest in acquiring the startup and called WSJ’s report “inaccurate and ridiculous,” while noting that any large compensation offer would depend on Meta’s stock performance.

But Zuckerberg has reportedly been hands-on in the recruitment effort since April 2025, frustrated by the “slow progress” of Meta’s internal AI development.
Who Meta Did Hire

Despite the rejections, Meta has lured top AI minds from:

Apple: Jomin Pan, former head of Apple’s AI division, joined Meta in July with a package reportedly worth tens of millions per year.

OpenAI: Researcher Alexander Kolesnikov is now at Meta.

Anthropic: AI specialist Anton Bakhtin also jumped ship.

In total, 16 AI researchers have joined Meta recently, according to Bloomberg, WSJ, and TechCrunch.
️ Building Meta’s Superintelligence Lab

Meta’s ambitious lab is now led by:

Alexandr Wang, founder of Scale AI

Nat Friedman, ex-CEO of GitHub, who is leading product development

With talent like this, Meta is still very much in the race for AGI — even if some of the biggest fish just won’t bite.

Would you say no to $1.5 billion? Let’s be honest.

[jacson4]

This story is wild — $1.5 billion on the table and still a "no"? That speaks volumes about how some researchers value independence and open-source principles over money, no matter how massive the offer.Zuck clearly understands how crucial top AI talent is in the race against OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. But this rejection also reflects a growing pushback from researchers who don’t want their work locked behind corporate walls. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see that not everything has a price — especially in a space as powerful (and sensitive) as AI. 🤯

[Nahid10]

This might be one of the most significant rejections in tech history. Zuckerberg offering $1.5B is not just about acquiring talent — it's about trying to control the future of AI. And the fact that someone turned that down shows a deeper conversation happening in the AI world: open research vs. centralized control.
Also, this sends a message — top-tier researchers are realizing that their work has global impact, not just shareholder value. Respect to the researcher for standing firm. Sometimes, integrity is worth more than billions. 🧠