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 whole compensation for the primary 12 months, WIRED has realized.
Meta has made at the least 10 staggeringly excessive gives to OpenAI staffers, sources say. One excessive rating researcher was pitched on the function of chief scientist however turned it down, based on a number of sources with direct information of the negotiations. Whereas the pay bundle contains fairness, within the first 12 months 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 approved to talk publicly in regards to the firm. Different workers mentioned that they have been weighing the cash in opposition to the potential impression they may have at Meta compared to OpenAI. A number of believed their impression could be larger 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 enormously exaggerate what’s taking place for their very own functions.”
A senior engineer who spoke to WIRED confirmed their pay was round $850,000 per 12 months 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 12 months, based on person knowledge submitted on Ranges.FYI.
Andrew Bosworth, chief know-how officer at Meta, mentioned that not everyone seems to be getting a $100 million provide throughout a Q&A with workers final week. “Look, you guys, the market’s sizzling. It is not that sizzling. Okay? So it is only a lie,” he mentioned. “Now we 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 is just not a sign-on bonus, however “all these various things” and famous OpenAI is countering the gives.
As a degree of comparability, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, acquired $79.1 million in whole compensation in 2024, most of it in inventory, based on a monetary submitting by the corporate. Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, made roughly $39.4 million (once more, largely in inventory) the identical 12 months.
On Monday, Mark Zuckerberg despatched a notice to Meta employees introducing the brand new superintelligence group. Alexandr Wang, previously the CEO of Scale AI, is now Meta’s chief AI officer, Zuckerberg mentioned. He’s joined by Nat Friedman who beforehand led GitHub. Collectively, Wang and Friedman will colead a company Zuckerberg dubbed the Meta Superintelligence Labs. The corporate didn’t title a chief scientist or a chief analysis officer as a part of the announcement. Neither Wang nor Friedman are considered researchers, at the least within the conventional sense. Not one of the OpenAI staffers who left for Meta acquired the $300 million provide, based on a supply with information of the contracts.
