The battle for AI dominance is getting wild, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman just dropped a bombshell. Speaking on his brother Jack’s podcast Uncapped, the OpenAI CEO claimed that Meta has been trying to poach his top researchers by offering absolutely insane signing bonuses—up to $100 million. Yes, just to join.
According to Altman, Meta’s been dishing out these jaw-dropping offers to several key people on his team. “$100 million signing bonuses, more than that in compensation per year,” he said. Despite the tempting cash, Altman says none of his best minds have taken the bait so far. That’s a major flex—and also a sign of how intense the AI talent war is right now.
AI hiring is now like elite sports… or Wall Street
It’s no secret that AI is the hottest ticket in tech. But the way companies are now fighting over talent? It’s starting to look more like bidding wars in pro sports or hedge funds. With everyone from Meta and Google to Microsoft and OpenAI racing to build the next-gen AI tools, the researchers building this stuff are now the most valuable assets in Silicon Valley.
Altman confirmed OpenAI has had to step up its own retention game too. He said some team members are getting multi-million-dollar bonuses to stay on board—on top of their already massive salaries (some reportedly around $10 million a year). Still, he believes OpenAI’s edge isn’t just the money. “It’s mission first,” he said, adding that the financial rewards follow naturally from the impact they’re aiming to create.
Poker nights, private jets, and some serious wooing
Just how far will these tech giants go to land top AI minds? A Reuters report recently revealed that leading OpenAI researcher Noam Brown was once courted with next-level treatment: lunch with Google co-founder Sergey Brin, poker at Sam Altman’s house, and even a private jet visit from a VC desperate to seal the deal.
Despite not getting the biggest cheque, Brown chose OpenAI. Why? Because it felt like the team was serious about building something that truly mattered.
At this point, it’s clear—AI isn’t just the future of tech. It’s also the biggest hiring battleground in the industry right now.
