OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has alleged that Meta offered signing bonuses of up to $100 million to recruit employees from his organisation. Speaking on the Uncapped podcast hosted by his brother, Altman said Meta’s aggressive recruitment efforts are part of a broader race to secure elite AI talent amid rising competition in the field of generative and superintelligent models.
“They started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team,” Altman said. “You know, like $100 million signing bonuses, more than that in compensation per year.” He added that none of OpenAI’s top talent has accepted the offers so far.
Meta’s talent push follows Scale AI deal and new superintelligence unit
Altman’s comments come just days after Meta invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and hired its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead its new superintelligence division. The company is reportedly building out its AI teams to catch up with competitors like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and China’s DeepSeek.
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While Meta was once known for its leadership in open-source AI, recent internal changes and staff departures have delayed the release of new foundational models. The company has since focused on rebuilding its technical advantage, and its recruitment of top engineers is a key part of that strategy.
Superstar researchers now seen as company-defining assets
Altman’s remarks underscore the fierce global competition for AI talent, where individual researchers and engineers are being courted like elite athletes. In today’s AI landscape, a single hire can influence research breakthroughs, product roadmaps, and commercial advantage.
Meta has not commented on the allegations, and the bonus claims remain unverified. However, the trend is clear: as companies chase superintelligence and foundational AI leadership, the price for talent is reaching unprecedented highs.
