option
Home
News
Meta Offers High Pay for AI Talent, Denies $100M Signing Bonuses

Meta Offers High Pay for AI Talent, Denies $100M Signing Bonuses

August 9, 2025
142

Meta Offers High Pay for AI Talent, Denies $100M Signing Bonuses

Meta is attracting AI researchers to its new superintelligence lab with substantial multimillion-dollar compensation packages. However, claims of $100 million "signing bonuses" are untrue, per a recruited researcher and remarks from a leaked internal meeting.

In a leaked company-wide meeting reported by The Verge on Thursday, Meta executives addressed questions about bonuses OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed Meta offered top researchers.

Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth suggested that only a select few senior leaders might receive such high figures, but clarified that "the actual terms of the offer" were not a "sign-on bonus." Instead, they include various components. Typically, tech firms provide senior leaders with significant restricted stock unit (RSU) grants tied to tenure or performance.

A four-year compensation package nearing $100 million for a top executive is plausible at Meta. Most of Meta's named officers, including Bosworth, have earned between $20 million and $24 million annually for years.

Bosworth reportedly noted at the meeting that Altman was "suggesting that we're doing this for every single person." He added, "The market's competitive, but not that extreme." (Meta did not immediately respond to inquiries.)

On Thursday, researcher Lucas Beyer announced he was leaving OpenAI's Zurich office, along with two colleagues, to join Meta. He tweeted: "1) yes, we will be joining Meta. 2) no, we did not get 100M sign-on, that's false." (Beyer declined further comment to TechCrunch.)

Beyer's focus on computer vision AI aligns with Meta's goals of advancing entertainment AI, not productivity AI, as Bosworth reportedly stated. Meta has already invested in this space with Quest VR headsets and AI-enhanced Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses.

Meta is targeting high-caliber AI talent in a competitive market, justifying significant pay packages. As TechCrunch first reported, Meta hired OpenAI's Trapit Bansal, renowned for his work on AI reasoning models, who joined OpenAI in 2022.

Scale co-founder and CEO Alexandr Wang is likely receiving over $100 million from Meta's acquisition of a 49% stake in his company. As previously reported, Meta's $14 billion payment is distributed as a cash dividend to shareholders, with Wang likely holding a significant share.

While Meta isn't offering $100 million bonuses broadly, it is investing heavily in AI talent acquisition.

An investor shared with TechCrunch that an AI researcher declined an $18 million offer from Meta, opting for a smaller but attractive deal from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab, a trending AI startup.

Related article
PHP Armageddon: OpenAI, Google’s Wiz uncover ancient holes, sparking internet panic PHP Armageddon: OpenAI, Google’s Wiz uncover ancient holes, sparking internet panic The U.S. National Security Agency issued a critical alert on Wednesday regarding two severe vulnerabilities in PHP, for which patches have already been released by the PHP Foundation.As a server-side scripting language, PHP powers approximately 70% o
OpenAI launches GPT-5.5 Instant as ChatGPT’s new default model OpenAI launches GPT-5.5 Instant as ChatGPT’s new default model OpenAI launched GPT-5.5 Instant on Monday, replacing GPT-5.3 Instant as the default ChatGPT model. The company states that this update minimizes hallucinations in high-stakes fields like law, medicine, and finance, while preserving the fast response
Meta's Muse outpaces ChatGPT in early mobile launch Meta's Muse outpaces ChatGPT in early mobile launch New data suggests Meta’s latest AI app, Muse, could become the social giant’s next major success. According to recent estimates from Appfigures, Muse has been downloaded on mobile devices more times in its first twelve days than ChatGPT did in the tw
Related Special Topic Recommendations
Design & Art Top AI Illustration Tools: Create Editorial Scenes and Cover Art Faster
Top AI Illustration Tools: Create Editorial Scenes and Cover Art Faster

2026 Latest Top-rated AI Illustration Tools: Our curated list features the best powerfully designed tools for creating stunning editorial scenes and eye-catching cover art quickly. Each option has gone through rigorous real-world tests, offering a free vs paid comparison to help you find the perfect match for your workflow. Try these must-try solutions today to unlock your AI edge and boost your creative productivity. Explore now at XIX.AI.

10 tools
xix.ai
Education and Learning Top AI Tutors for Exam Prep: Practice Math, Science, and English
Top AI Tutors for Exam Prep: Practice Math, Science, and English

2026 Latest Top-Rated Best AI Tutors for Exam Prep are here on XIX.AI! Our curated list features powerful game-changing tools that offer free vs paid comparison, real-world tests, and weekly updated rankings. They help boost your writing efficiency, simplify complex topic learning, and unlock your academic potential. Explore now to Discover your perfect exam prep tool and Start creating today to Unlock your AI edge!

10 tools
xix.ai
Finance AI Budget Planning Tools for Personal Money Management
AI Budget Planning Tools for Personal Money Management

2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Budget Planning Tools for Personal Money Management are here on XIX.AI! This curated collection features powerful, game-changing solutions that help you conduct real-world tests, understand spending habits, and create personalized plans to boost productivity. Enjoy a free vs paid comparison along with detailed rankings. Must-try tools designed to simplify money management and unlock your AI edge. Explore now!

11 tools
xix.ai
Health & Wellness AI Sleep Tracking Assistants: Improve Recovery with Better Bedtime Habits
AI Sleep Tracking Assistants: Improve Recovery with Better Bedtime Habits

2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Sleep Tracking Assistants curated for ultimate recovery. This fully updated weekly guide features powerful tools that deliver real-world tests, free vs paid comparison, and detailed rankings to help you find the must-try solution that boosts sleep quality and supports better bedtime habits. Explore now at XIX.AI to Unlock your AI edge.

10 tools
xix.ai
Data Analysis AI SQL Copilots for Product and Revenue Analytics
AI SQL Copilots for Product and Revenue Analytics

2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI SQL Copilots for Product and Revenue Analytics! XIX.AI has curated a powerful, game-changing collection of must-try tools that undergo real-world tests through weekly updated rankings. These tools help users boost productivity significantly by accelerating data analysis, streamlining complex queries, and generating accurate insights to drive smarter business decisions. Explore now to Discover your perfect tool for unlocking your AI edge!

14 tools
xix.ai
Education and Learning Best AI Homework Helpers That Teach: Learn Concepts, Not Just Answers
Best AI Homework Helpers That Teach: Learn Concepts, Not Just Answers

2026 Latest Best Top-Rated AI Homework Helpers That Teach Core Concepts Not Just Answers Powerful Tools for Students Must-Try Curated List Weekly Updated Free vs Paid Comparison Real-World Tests Accurate Rankings to Help You Unlock Your Full Learning Potential Explore now to Discover your perfect tool for smarter studying.

10 tools
xix.ai
Comments (2)
0/500
RaymondWalker
RaymondWalker October 28, 2025 at 4:30:30 PM EDT

¡Vaya gasto en IA! Me pregunto si estas inversiones realmente impulsarán el desarrollo responsable o solo crearán más burbujas especulativas. 🤔

WilliamYoung
WilliamYoung October 28, 2025 at 8:31:02 AM EDT

Meta wirft echt Kohle für KI-Leute raus 😳 Finde die Gehaltsdiskussion immer spannend, aber 100 Mio wären ja irre. Wo ist da die Grenze bei Tech-Riesen? 🤑

OR