According to The Wall Street Journal, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently attempted to acquire the innovative AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, co-founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. The acquisition offer was declined, prompting Zuckerberg to reach out individually to about 12 of the startup’s researchers, including its leading scientist and co-founder Andrew Tallock.
Sources say Tallock was offered a compensation package valued at around $1 billion in bonuses and equity, potentially reaching up to $1.5 billion over six years. However, he and the rest of the team turned down the offer.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone called the report “inaccurate and absurd,” stating that compensation is tied to stock performance and that Meta has no intention of acquiring Thinking Machines Lab.
Since April 2025, Zuckerberg has personally overseen recruitment efforts for Meta’s AI projects due to what he reportedly considers the company’s slow progress in advanced AI. In July, Meta successfully hired Apple’s head of AI, Jomin Pan, offering a compensation package worth “tens of millions of dollars” annually.
Meta’s “superintelligence” lab is now led by Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang, with product development overseen by former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman.
This episode highlights the intensifying competition in the artificial intelligence field, where tech giants are making billion-dollar offers to secure top talent—yet some researchers prefer to maintain their independence and follow their own vision.
