In a candid interview with The Information, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed the notion that top AI researchers are joining Meta solely for massive compensation packages.
Amid reports of Rs 1,600 crore ($200 million) offers to lure talent from Apple, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind, Mark clarified that the real draw lies in unmatched compute power, autonomy, and the opportunity to build superintelligent AI systems.
“Lol, that’s mostly inaccurate,” Mark said, responding to claims that Meta is “poaching researchers because of bags of money.”
Instead, he emphasized that elite AI talent is motivated by the chance to “build god”—a reference to Meta’s ambitious push toward superintelligence, a concept that surpasses artificial general intelligence (AGI).
What Meta Offers as per Mark Zuckerberg: Infinite GPUs and Direct Access to Leadership
Mark revealed that Meta’s Superintelligence Lab (MSL) provides researchers with:
- Unlimited access to GPUs for training large models
- Small, high-impact teams with minimal bureaucracy
- Direct reporting lines to senior leadership, including Zuckerberg himself
- Freedom to experiment without legacy constraints
This infrastructure includes Prometheus (1GW) and Hyperion (5GW) compute clusters, which Mark claims will deliver “the most compute per researcher on the planet”.
Salary Speculation vs. Strategic Autonomy
While acknowledging that compensation plays a role, Mark Zuckerberg insisted that reports of nine-figure signing bonuses are exaggerated.
The real value proposition, he said, is the ability to work on cutting-edge AI systems in a clean-slate environment, free from legacy systems and corporate red tape.
Meta’s aggressive hiring spree has attracted top minds like:
- Trapit Bansal (ex-OpenAI) – reportedly offered ₹800 crore
- Ruoming Pang (ex-Apple) – reportedly offered ₹1,600 crore
- Other notable hires from Google and Anthropic, including Lucas Beyer, Xiaohua Zhai, and Jack Rae
These packages include base salary, signing bonuses, and equity grants with performance-linked clauses and extended vesting schedules.
Industry Impact: Talent War or Vision-Driven Migration?
Mark’s remarks come amid a Silicon Valley-wide AI talent war, with companies racing to build AGI and superintelligence.
Meta’s strategy—centered on compute density, team autonomy, and mission clarity—is reshaping how top researchers evaluate career moves.
“Researchers told us they want maximum GPUs,” Mark said. “So we said, how about the smallest teams, direct access to me, and unlimited compute power?”
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