Meta Eyes $32B AI Startup CEO After Failed Acquisition Bid
▼ Summary
– Mark Zuckerberg showcased prototype computer glasses with transparent digital displays at Meta Connect.
– Meta is aggressively hiring top AI talent, including Daniel Gross and Nat Friedman, after failing to acquire Safe Superintelligence.
– Meta invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI to secure key engineers and a 49% stake in the startup.
– OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claims Meta offered $100M signing bonuses to lure OpenAI employees, but none accepted.
– The AI talent war intensifies as major firms like Meta, Google, and Microsoft compete for experts in large language models and AGI.
Meta is aggressively expanding its artificial intelligence capabilities through high-profile talent acquisitions and investments, signaling an intensifying battle for dominance in the AI sector. The company recently made headlines by recruiting Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang alongside a $14.3 billion investment, but insiders reveal this was merely the opening move in a much broader strategy.
Sources indicate Meta attempted to acquire Safe Superintelligence, the $32 billion startup founded by former OpenAI researcher Ilya Sutskever. When those negotiations stalled, CEO Mark Zuckerberg shifted focus to securing the expertise of Safe Superintelligence CEO Daniel Gross and former GitHub chief Nat Friedman. Both executives will reportedly join Meta while maintaining their venture capital firm NFDG, in which Meta will take a financial stake.
This talent grab comes amid fierce competition among tech giants to develop advanced AI systems. Meta, Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft are locked in a high-stakes race to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI), with companies offering unprecedented compensation packages to attract top researchers. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently claimed Meta offered $100 million signing bonuses to lure his team members, though none accepted.
The recruitment of Gross brings significant experience to Meta’s AI efforts. A serial entrepreneur, he previously founded search engine Cue (acquired by Apple), contributed to Siri’s development, and served as a Y Combinator partner before co-founding Safe Superintelligence. Friedman brings additional technical leadership from his tenure at GitHub following Microsoft’s acquisition.
Industry observers note this spending spree reflects Meta’s determination to close the gap with rivals. The company recently invested $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI while simultaneously building its internal AI division. Other players have made similar moves, Microsoft acquired Inflection AI’s team for $650 million, while Google rehired Character.AI’s founders in a multibillion-dollar deal.
As the AI arms race accelerates, Meta’s aggressive hiring strategy demonstrates Zuckerberg’s commitment to positioning the company at the forefront of technological innovation. With billions being deployed across the industry, the competition for breakthrough AI capabilities shows no signs of slowing.
(Source: CNBC)
