OpenAI Boss: Meta Offering $100M Plus to Poach My Staff
TL;DR
- Meta has attempted to lure key staff from OpenAI with aggressive compensation packages.
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, confirmed offers of $100 million signing bonuses.
- Despite these offers, Altman states that none of his "best people" have accepted them.
- Meta aims to bolster its AI workforce significantly amid a tech talent war.
Introduction
In a bold move signaling the escalating competition in the tech industry, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is reportedly offering signing bonuses of $100 million or more to attempt to poach talent from its rival, OpenAI. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, disclosed this information during a podcast, emphasizing that, so far, none of his top performers have accepted these tempting offers.
The Offers and Their Implications
While Meta has not publicly confirmed the specific figures mentioned by Altman, the attempt to attract talent with such substantial financial incentives underscores a broader scramble for skilled professionals in the artificial intelligence sector. Altman remarked on the substantial nature of these offers, revealing they extend beyond just signing bonuses to include potentially significant yearly compensation.
“They started making these giant offers…$100 million signing bonuses, more than that [in] compensation per year,” he stated during a conversation with his brother, Jack Altman, on the Uncapped podcast.
This tactic aligns with Meta's current strategy to enhance its capabilities in AI, particularly as it recently committed $15 billion to achieve advanced levels of computer-generated "super intelligence." The recruitment push aims to fill gaps within Meta's workforce as it contemplates a future dominated by AI technology.
Why OpenAI Employees Are Staying
Despite the attractive offers from Meta, Altman expressed relief over his team's loyalty, stating that the mission of OpenAI and its focus on innovation resonate strongly with their employees:
“I think the strategy of a ton of upfront, guaranteed comp…is not going to set up a great culture,” Altman added.
He highlighted that many employees prefer to remain with OpenAI because they believe in the company's mission to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) and ultimately superintelligence, which could vastly outperform human cognitive capabilities. This commitment to a higher purpose could be a decisive factor in the talent retention at OpenAI.
The Bigger Picture
The AI talent market is increasingly competitive, with firms like Meta and Google DeepMind reportedly spending vast amounts to attract leading researchers. Recent reports indicated that Meta had also pursued employees from DeepMind, reflecting a broader trend where major tech companies vie for a limited pool of talent possessing specialized knowledge in AI and machine learning.
In January, there was a significant industry shift when OpenAI announced a partnership to invest in new data centers to the tune of $500 billion, highlighting the scale of financial commitment companies are ready to make in the pursuit of AI advancement.
Conclusion
As the battle for AI talent intensifies, both OpenAI and Meta are pushing their respective agendas with considerable financial incentives at stake. The contrasting approaches—Meta's aggressive financial offers versus OpenAI's mission-driven recruitment rhetoric—illustrate the varied philosophies in a rapidly evolving sector. Whether Meta's financial strategy will ultimately yield the desired results remains to be seen, but for now, OpenAI's culture and vision appear to resonate more deeply with its staff.
References
[^1]: Sam Altman (2025). "OpenAI CEO says Meta offered some of his workers $100M recruitment bonuses | Watch". MSN. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
[^2]: OpenAI boss: Meta offering $100m plus to poach my staff (2025). "OpenAI boss: Meta offering $100m plus to poach my staff". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
[^3]: Mark Zuckerberg tried to poach ChatGPT staff for $100m, OpenAI boss says (2025). "Mark Zuckerberg tried to poach ChatGPT staff for $100m, OpenAI boss says". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
[^4]: OpenAI Talent Remains Loyal as Meta’s $100M Poaching Fails (2025). "OpenAI Talent Remains Loyal as Meta’s $100M Poaching Fails". Autogpt. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
[^5]: OpenAI boss accuses Meta of trying to poach staff with $100m sign-on bonuses (2025). "OpenAI boss accuses Meta of trying to poach staff with $100m sign-on bonuses". The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
[^6]: OpenAI boss: Meta offering $100m plus to poach my staff (2025). "OpenAI boss: Meta offering $100m plus to poach my staff". SEPE. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
[^7]: OpenAI CEO says Meta tried and failed to poach OpenAI's talent with $100M offers (2025). "OpenAI CEO says Meta tried and failed to poach OpenAI's talent with $100M offers". Ground News. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
[^8]: Techmeme (2025). "OpenAI boss: Meta offering $100m plus to poach my staff". Techmeme. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
Keywords: OpenAI, Meta, Sam Altman, AI talent, compensation packages, superintelligence, recruitment, Mark Zuckerberg.