Meta’s AI Ambitions Hit Wall As Mira Murati’s Team Says No To $1B Offer | Business News
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Despite billion-dollar offers from Meta, not a single employee from Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab has accepted.
Her team remains loyal, driven by purpose over paychecks. (Photo Credit: X)
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been on a high-stakes hiring spree, trying to bring the brightest minds in AI under the Meta Superintelligence Lab. But his latest target, Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, isn’t budging. Despite Meta offering massive financial packages, not a single employee from Murati’s startup has accepted the deal.
According to Wired, Murati confirmed, “So far at Thinking Machines Lab, not a single person has taken the offer.” These weren’t just generous offers; some employees were reportedly offered between $200 million and $500 million, and in one case, as much as $1 billion spread over multiple years.
Murati’s Team Chooses Mission Over Money
Thinking Machines Lab, founded by the former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer (CTO), has become one of the most-watched startups in AI. What makes it unique is that the company has achieved a $12 billion valuation, all without launching a single product.
Murati’s long-term vision and leadership have been praised in the tech world, and it seems her team is fully aligned with her.
Insiders suggest that employees are staying because of the strong mission and the creative freedom that comes with being in a small, independent company.
Many researchers feel that Meta, despite the money, can’t offer the same sense of purpose or impact. Thinking Machines Lab employees reportedly value the opportunity to help shape AI from the ground up, without being tied to a giant tech firm’s priorities.
$META reportedly approached over a dozen staffers at Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab with wild offers — one topping $1 Billion, others between $200M–$500M over 4 years per WIRED.But here’s the kicker: not a single one accepted.
TML has $12B valuation with no known product. pic.twitter.com/OpHhrW8icQ
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) July 29, 2025
Meta Pushes Back, But Concerns Remain
As per the Times of India, Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, challenged the claims, saying, “We made offers only to a handful of people at TML, and while there was one sizeable offer, the details are off.” Stone’s comment also hinted at tensions over how the story is being portrayed in the media.
Another sticking point may be Meta’s choice to bring in ScaleAI founder Alexandr Wang to lead the Superintelligence Lab. Some Thinking Machines Lab staff reportedly have concerns about his leadership style and experience. There is also a belief that Meta’s AI roadmap focuses more on “AI slop” for platforms like Facebook and Instagram, rather than groundbreaking research.
In the end, it seems money isn’t everything, at least not for Murati’s team.
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A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al… Read More
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