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Meta is attempting to poach top engineers from OpenAI with signing bonuses of up to $100million, according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
The revelation highlights the aggressive competition among tech companies to secure elite talent in artificial intelligence development.
Altman made the remarks during an appearance on the Uncapped podcast hosted by his brother, where he said Meta has been targeting members of his team with exceptionally large offers.
“They (Meta) started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team,” Altman said. “You know, like $100million signing bonuses, more than that (in) compensation per year.”
OpenAI engineers receive massive offers to jump ship
Meta is said to be rapidly building a super-intelligence team to keep pace with rivals. The company recently hired Alexandr Wang, CEO of data-labeling startup Scale AI, to lead the new unit, shortly after investing $14.3billion into Wang’s former company.
“I've heard that Meta thinks of us as their biggest competitor,” Altman added. He also noted that while Meta has offered massive incentives, “at least, so far, none of our best people have decided to take them up on that.”
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Meta has not responded to the claims, and Reuters reported it could not independently verify the bonus figures. The company has experienced challenges in its AI strategy recently, with multiple staff departures and delays in the release of new open-source AI models. The company had once been regarded as a leading force in open-source model development, but has struggled to maintain momentum against competitors including OpenAI, Google and China's DeepSeek.
Altman compares recruitment to pro sports
The AI sector’s talent race has reached a level of intensity more often seen in elite sports recruitment. Altman suggested that top-tier AI engineers are being courted with the expectation that individual hires could dramatically influence a company’s trajectory.
The combination of fierce industry rivalry and the high value placed on individual expertise is driving compensation packages to new heights. With firms seeking a lead in generative AI and super-intelligence capabilities, retaining key personnel has become a critical focus for leadership teams.
Altman’s comments reflect growing pressure on HR departments and chief people officers across the tech industry to develop retention strategies that can withstand financially incentivized poaching efforts from competitors.
