Former OpenAI Researcher Refutes $100 Million Meta Signing Bonus Claims

Reports of exorbitant $100 million signing bonuses being offered by Meta to attract top AI talent from OpenAI have been publicly dismissed as "fake news" by one of the researchers who recently made the switch. Lucas Beyer, a former OpenAI researcher now part of Meta's burgeoning super-intelligence team, took to social media to set the record straight, shedding light on the intense talent war gripping the artificial intelligence industry.

Key Takeaway: Former OpenAI researcher Lucas Beyer has publicly denied reports of a $100 million Meta signing bonus, calling them "fake news." This refutation comes after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's claims of massive offers to poach talent, highlighting the intense and often dramatic talent war in the AI industry.

The Origin of the $100 Million Figure

The speculation surrounding the nine-figure bonuses originated from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. During a recent podcast appearance, Altman claimed that Meta was "making giant offers" to a number of his team members, including "more than $100 million" in total compensation. This statement quickly went viral, fueling narratives of unprecedented bidding wars for elite AI expertise.

Beyer's Direct Rebuttal

However, Lucas Beyer, alongside his colleagues Alexander Kolesnikov and Xiaohua Zhai, who also moved from OpenAI's Zurich office to Meta's new AI unit, directly refuted Altman's claims. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Beyer explicitly stated, "No, we did not get 100M sign-on, that's fake news." He also humorously suggested that Altman's public declaration was a "brilliant move" designed to make other potential recruits feel lowballed by their offers.

Meta's Internal Perspective

Meta's Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, echoed Beyer's sentiments in an internal company meeting. Bosworth reportedly called Altman "dishonest" regarding the claims, emphasizing that while Meta does offer substantial packages for a "very, very small number of people" in senior leadership roles, these are structured compensation over time, not solely a sign-on bonus, and are not as widespread as Altman implied. He further suggested that Altman's exaggerations might stem from Meta's success in recruiting talent from OpenAI.

The Broader AI Talent War

This high-stakes talent acquisition extends beyond Beyer's team, with other prominent OpenAI researchers like Trapit Bansal also joining Meta's ranks. Meta has been aggressively expanding its AI division, making significant investments in "super-intelligence" research as it aims to accelerate its progress in cutting-edge AI technology.

The public exchange between key figures from OpenAI and Meta underscores the fierce competition for top AI researchers. As companies race to develop advanced AI models, the battle for human capital remains a critical front, shaping the future landscape of artificial intelligence.