AI researcher Andrew Tulloch reportedly turned down a staggering job offer from Meta Platforms Inc., potentially valued at up to $1.5 billion over several years. The news gained traction following a tweet by content creator Warren Redlich, who humorously claimed to have rejected a similar offer, stating, "> Turned down $1.5B offer from Meta. Still hasn't asked a girl for a date." While Redlich's tweet was a lighthearted take, reports from sources like The Wall Street Journal and Wired confirm that the substantial offer was extended to Tulloch, a co-founder of the AI startup Thinking Machines Lab.
Meta's aggressive pursuit of top-tier artificial intelligence talent underscores the intense competition within the burgeoning AI industry. The company, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has been actively recruiting for its Superintelligence Labs, aiming to build what Zuckerberg refers to as "personal superintelligence." This strategy has reportedly involved offering unprecedented compensation packages to leading AI scientists and engineers from rival firms and startups.
Andrew Tulloch, an Australian computer scientist and machine learning expert, previously held significant roles at both Meta (then Facebook) and OpenAI before co-founding Thinking Machines Lab with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati in early 2025. His extensive background includes contributing to the development of PyTorch, a widely used AI research framework, and working on GPT-4's pre-training models. Thinking Machines Lab, despite not yet having launched a product, has garnered a valuation of $12 billion in its seed round, attracting considerable attention.
Tulloch's decision to decline Meta's lucrative offer, along with other employees at Thinking Machines Lab who also reportedly rejected similar overtures, highlights a growing trend among elite AI researchers. Many are prioritizing autonomy, mission-driven work, and the ability to build on their own terms over the financial incentives offered by large tech corporations. This stance reflects a desire for a more independent and focused research environment away from the corporate structures of tech giants.
The ongoing "AI gold rush" has seen companies like Meta and OpenAI engage in a high-stakes battle for talent, with compensation packages reaching unprecedented levels. This competitive landscape is shaping the future of AI development, as top researchers weigh the benefits of substantial financial rewards against the appeal of entrepreneurial freedom and a direct impact on foundational AI research. The rejection by Tulloch and his colleagues signals a potential shift in how top AI talent views their career paths.