Meta offered OpenAI engineers $100 million joining bonuses, says Sam Altman

In a striking revelation, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has claimed that Meta is aggressively trying to attract top talent from his organization by offering signing bonuses that can reach as high as $100 million. This startling disclosure highlights the escalating competition for skilled professionals within the artificial intelligence sector. During a recent episode of the Uncapped podcast, hosted by his brother, Altman stated, "They [Meta] started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team." He further elaborated that these lucrative packages not only include massive signing bonuses but also substantial annual compensation. However, Altman reassured listeners that, up to this point, none of OpenAI's leading experts have opted to accept these enticing proposals. This situation underscores the fierce rivalry between two major players in the AI landscape, as major tech companies are in a race to secure the most brilliant minds in generative AI. Meta has ramped up its initiatives, particularly with the establishment of a new superintelligence unit led by Alexandr Wang, the founder of the data-labeling firm Scale AI. Recently, Meta invested $14.3 billion in Wang’s company and subsequently appointed him to lead this new unit. Altman noted, "I’ve heard that Meta thinks of us as their biggest competitor," indicating the high stakes involved in this recruitment battle. Meta's efforts to attract talent come at a time when the company is facing challenges, including internal turnover and delays in launching competitive open-source AI models. Once seen as a frontrunner in the industry, Meta is now working diligently to keep pace with rivals such as Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and the rising Chinese contender, DeepSeek.