Oct 13, 2025 - Technology

Behind the scenes: Meta still on prowl for AI talent

Ina Fried

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Meta's hiring of Thinking Machines co-founder Andrew Tulloch is a sign that Mark Zuckerberg isn't done with nabbing big-name AI talent, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.

Yes, but: The source said Tulloch's pay package is less than both an earlier offer he turned down — as well as an earlier report of an offer that could have approached $1.5 billion, factoring in various incentives and a rise in Meta's stock.

Tulloch will join Meta's newly formed TBD Labs unit, headed by Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, the source said, although Tulloch's specific focus is not yet clear.

Tulloch, a well-regarded machine learning expert who previously worked at Meta and OpenAI, has most recently been a key figure at Thinking Machines, the startup founded by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati.

Flashback: The Wall Street Journal reported in August that, having failed to buy Thinking Machines, Zuckerberg had tried to recruit Tulloch with a jaw-dropping pay package that could have been worth as much as $1.5 billion when factoring in bonuses and assuming a sufficient rise in Meta's stock. Meta denied at the time that its offer stretched that high, with a spokesman calling it "inaccurate and ridiculous."

Meta has spent billions in its recent AI hiring spree, which included a $15 billion investment in Scale AI, a deal that made Wang's hiring possible.

Go deeper: Meta and OpenAI lean into social AI video.

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Behind the scenes: Meta still on prowl for AI talent

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