As Mark Zuckerberg staffs up Meta’s new superintelligence lab, he’s provided high tier analysis expertise pay packages of as much as $300 million over 4 years, with greater than $100 million in complete compensation for the primary yr, WIRED has discovered.
Meta has made at the very least 10 staggeringly excessive gives to OpenAI staffers, sources say. One excessive rating researcher was pitched on the position of chief scientist however turned it down, in accordance with a number of sources with direct data of the negotiations. Whereas the pay package deal contains fairness, within the first yr the inventory vests instantly, sources say.
“That’s about how a lot it will take for me to go work at Meta,” says one OpenAI staffer who spoke with WIRED on the situation of anonymity as they aren’t licensed to talk publicly concerning the firm. Different staff stated that they had been weighing the cash towards the potential influence they might have at Meta compared to OpenAI. A number of believed their influence could be better at OpenAI.
“These statements are unfaithful – the dimensions and construction of those compensation packages have been misrepresented all over,” says Meta spokesperson Andy Stone. “Some folks have chosen to tremendously exaggerate what’s occurring for their very own functions.”
A senior engineer who spoke to WIRED confirmed their pay was round $850,000 per yr at Meta—a formidable sum that pales compared to the packages at present on provide. These within the pay band above this engineer (E7’s, in Meta phrases) make on common $1.54 million a yr, in accordance with consumer knowledge submitted on Ranges.FYI.
Andrew Bosworth, chief expertise officer at Meta, stated that not everyone seems to be getting a $100 million provide throughout a Q&A with staff final week. “Look, you guys, the market’s sizzling. It isn’t that sizzling. Okay? So it is only a lie,” he stated. “We now have a small variety of management roles that we’re hiring for, and people folks do command a premium.” He added that the $100 million shouldn’t be a sign-on bonus, however “all these various things” and famous OpenAI is countering the gives.
As some extent of comparability, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, acquired $79.1 million in complete compensation in 2024, most of it in inventory, in accordance with a monetary submitting by the corporate. Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, made roughly $39.4 million (once more, largely in inventory) the identical yr.
On Monday, Mark Zuckerberg despatched a observe to Meta workers introducing the brand new superintelligence group. Alexandr Wang, previously the CEO of Scale AI, is now Meta’s chief AI officer, Zuckerberg stated. He’s joined by Nat Friedman who beforehand led GitHub. Collectively, Wang and Friedman will colead a corporation Zuckerberg dubbed the Meta Superintelligence Labs. The corporate didn’t identify a chief scientist or a chief analysis officer as a part of the announcement. Neither Wang nor Friedman are considered researchers, at the very least within the conventional sense. Not one of the OpenAI staffers who left for Meta acquired the $300 million provide, in accordance with a supply with data of the contracts.
