Meta engineers are allegedly departing to work for xAI, according to Elon Musk, sans substantial financial incentives.
In the competitive world of artificial intelligence (AI) research, the race to attract and retain the best minds has reached new heights. Companies like Meta, xAI, OpenAI, and Google are engaged in a fierce bidding war, offering extraordinary compensation packages to lure top AI researchers [1][3].
One of the latest moves in this battle has seen Bowen Zhang, a key multimodal AI researcher, join Meta from Apple. This shift is not an isolated incident. Meta has been reportedly pursuing candidates from an elite group known as "the List," demanding top qualifications such as Ph.D. credentials and notable research breakthroughs, and offering packages worth hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars extended over multiple years [1][3].
Meta's rival, xAI, founded by Elon Musk in 2023, is also part of this intense competition. While specific details about their offers are less public, it is clear that they are not shy about competing financially [2]. Tech giants are not only offering massive salaries but also equity stakes, sign-on bonuses, remote work flexibility, and enhanced research freedoms to attract AI talent [2].
Startups, however, struggle against the vast financial resources of major companies. They often compete by offering equity shares as high as 2% to 5%, cofounder titles, and a faster, personalized hiring process [2]. However, the lure of big money and research opportunities has led to a "mercenary mindset" among AI researchers, driving frequent moves to seize the best opportunities [2].
Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has personally led recruitment efforts to raid AI talent from rivals, offering a reported $1.5 billion package spanning six years to a top AI researcher [3]. Yet, not all targets remain loyal, with some choosing to resist moves despite huge incentives [3].
The demand for AI talent is surging across industries, with AI-specific roles doubling in hiring demand year-over-year in early 2025, despite overall tech hiring slowing down [4]. This underscores the strategic priority of AI talent in shaping the future of technology.
The competition between Meta and xAI is heating up, with both companies actively recruiting top engineers in the field. Interestingly, xAI is reportedly successful in hiring top engineers from Meta without offering "insane" initial compensation [5]. Meanwhile, some engineers from Thinking Machines Lab have chosen not to leave their current positions despite billion-dollar offers [6].
The addition of Bowen Zhang, Ruoming Pang, and other unnamed researchers from Apple to Meta's team may contribute to Meta's ongoing projects in the field of multimodal AI research [7]. The joining of these researchers from Apple to Meta indicates Meta's ongoing efforts to strengthen its superintelligence team [8].
In response to reports of Meta poaching over 100 employees from OpenAI, Elon Musk made a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the intensified competition in the AI industry [9]. Meanwhile, at least ten engineers who were reportedly poached from OpenAI by Meta have accepted offers to join xAI [10].
The performance-based compensation system at xAI, as described by Musk, could potentially lead to higher compensation for employees who excel in their roles [11]. Musk emphasizes that xAI follows a "hyper merit-based" system, with compensation potentially shifting higher based on performance [11]. As the battle for top AI talent continues, it remains to be seen who will emerge as the ultimate winner.
[1] Meta's AI Spending Spree [2] The AI Talent War [3] Meta's Billion-Dollar AI Hires [4] AI Hiring Demand Soars [5] xAI's Successful Hires from Meta [6] Engineers Choosing Loyalty over Money [7] Meta's Multimodal AI Research Boost [8] Meta Strengthening its Superintelligence Team [9] Musk's Response to Meta's Poaching [10] Engineers Leaving OpenAI for xAI [11] xAI's Performance-Based Compensation
- The pursuit of top AI talent extends beyond Meta and xAI, as startup companies also aim to compete in the arena of entrepreneurship and finance by offering equity shares and cofounder titles to attract AI researchers.
- As AI becomes increasingly integrated into various aspects of business and technology, the role of artificial-intelligence researchers becomes crucial, driving fierce competition among companies offering lucrative compensation packages and research freedoms to secure the best minds in the field.
