Meta Recruits Four More OpenAI Researchers to Boost Superintelligence Team

Meta has reportedly hired four more researchers from OpenAI, reported The Information. This intensifies the ongoing talent war in the AI industry. The new hires are:

• Shengjia Zhao
• Jiahui Yu
• Shuchao Bi
• Hongyu Ren

These researchers are joining Meta’s ambitious Superintelligence team, which is being led by Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of Scale AI.

Why This Matters

• Strategic Timing: The hires come shortly after the underwhelming launch of Meta’s Llama 4 AI models, which reportedly didn’t meet CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s expectations.
• High-Stakes Recruitment: Reports suggest Meta has been offering compensation packages worth up to $100 million, with some rumors even citing figures as high as $300 million over four years for top-tier talent.
• OpenAI’s Response: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has downplayed the impact, stating that “none of our best people” have left, though internal concerns have reportedly been raised about the aggressive poaching.

This move is part of Meta’s broader push to dominate the next wave of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The company has already brought in other OpenAI researchers from its Zurich office and is reportedly coordinating recruitment through a private WhatsApp group dubbed “Recruiting Party”.

Meta is reportedly offering staggering compensation packages to lure top AI researchers from OpenAI, with figures reaching up to $300 million over four years for select hires.

Compensation Details

• Total Package: Up to $300 million over four years for top-tier researchers.
• First-Year Payout: Over $100 million in some cases, primarily through stock grants that vest immediately.
• Structure: Not a simple cash signing bonus—packages include a mix of salary, equity, and early vesting stock options.
• Eligibility: These offers are reportedly limited to a small number of leadership roles within Meta’s new Superintelligence team.
• Meta’s Pitch: In addition to money, Meta is promising unlimited compute resources, including access to high-demand GPUs, which are critical for cutting-edge AI research.

Industry Impact

• OpenAI’s Response: CEO Sam Altman confirmed the $100M+ offers but claimed Meta didn’t get their “top people.” OpenAI is now recalibrating its own compensation to retain talent.
• Meta’s Strategy: CEO Mark Zuckerberg is personally leading the recruitment drive, aiming to build a team that can deliver on AGI ambitions after Llama 4’s underwhelming performance.