In a bold bid to reclaim leadership in artificial intelligence, Mark Zuckerberg has torn up the traditional playbook—and his Rolodex. Over the past few months, he’s personally emailed, WhatsApped, and hosted dinners for AI luminaries, offering staggering compensation—some deals reportedly reach nine figures—to join Meta’s new Superintelligence labof approximately 50 experts.
All-In Recruitment
Zuckerberg isn’t relying on headhunters. He’s in a WhatsApp group named “Recruiting Party” alongside Meta recruiters, orchestrating outreach from his cozy offices in Palo Alto and Lake Tahoe . Candidates—often startled enough to suspect pranks—are offered elite perks: bespoke roles, top-tier compute, and flight-path office desks next to Zuckerberg himself.
Money Talks, but Vision Matters
Meta’s incentive packages rival Olympics-scale prizes. Some offers include $100 million sign-ons, while the $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI secured its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to spearhead the effort. The deal—a 49% stake valuing Scale at $29 billion—is widely viewed as a mega-acquihire.
Hurdles in the Chase
Despite the financial allure, Meta has hit resistance. Repositions of Llama 4 and reportedly inflated leaderboard scores earlier this year raised red flags for talent.
Moreover, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed Meta’s sweepstakes-style offers (signed as high as $100M) had failed to lure key OpenAI staff—reinforcing that money alone isn’t winning hearts.
Culture Clash
Meta’s internal dynamics are another sticking point. Top figures like Yann LeCun, its chief AI scientist, are skeptical of the big-model approach foundational to superintelligence. For many recruits, the question is not “how much?” but “what’s the vision?”
The Meta Gamble
Zuckerberg’s aggressive strategy—combining personal branding, top-tier incentives, and strategic acquisitions—underscores Meta’s urgency. The Scale AI tie-up, led by Wang, brings not just fresh data infrastructure but a recognized leader and his ecosystem.
The question remains: can this “superintelligence” push recalibrate Meta’s AI engine? Or will culture, credibility, and capability continue to give rivals like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and nimble startups an advantage?
365247 Media Take
This isn’t merely a recruitment drive—it’s a statement of intent. Even with bold capital and marquee hires, Meta’s ambition rests on its ability to build trust, define a clear research standard, and deliver breakthroughs that rival whispers of “AGI.” If vision doesn’t follow dollars, the race may just pass by.
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IMAGE: Bloomberg
