**OpenAI Engineers Depart for Meta Amid Controversy Over Signing Bonuses**
Three prominent engineers from OpenAI, who established the company’s Zurich office last year, are set to leave for Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta. However, contrary to earlier reports, they will not be receiving the rumored $100 million signing bonuses. Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai confirmed their move to Meta, with Beyer dismissing the $100 million claim as “fake news.” He expressed excitement about their future endeavors in a post on X, stating, “Hey all, couple quick notes: 1) yes, we will be joining Meta. 2) no, we did not get 100M sign-on, that’s fake news. Excited about what’s ahead though, will share more in due time!”
The initial claim regarding the signing bonuses was made by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, who described the offers as “crazy” during a podcast with his brother. He mentioned that Meta was making substantial offers to many members of their team, but expressed relief that none of their top talent had accepted them so far. However, Beyer’s recent confirmation contradicts Altman’s assertions.
In response to a comment on his post, Beyer noted that Altman may have exaggerated the $100 million figure to deter potential candidates from considering Meta’s offers, acknowledging the strategy as a clever move.
As the AI landscape rapidly evolves, Meta is reportedly on a hiring spree to assemble a 50-person “Superintelligence” team. The three engineers were previously recruited by OpenAI from Google DeepMind in 2024. Additionally, Meta has recently brought on board 28-year-old Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to bolster its “superintelligence” initiatives, having acquired a 49% stake in Scale AI for $14.3 billion. This strategic hiring reflects Zuckerberg’s ambition to establish a team of experts focused on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
In conclusion, the departure of these key engineers from OpenAI to Meta highlights the competitive nature of the AI industry and the ongoing race to develop advanced technologies. As Meta continues to build its team, the implications for the future of AI remain significant.
**FAQ**
*Q: Why are the OpenAI engineers leaving for Meta?*
A: The engineers are joining Meta to contribute to its “Superintelligence” team, which aims to advance artificial intelligence technologies.
