Mark Zuckerberg Makes Bold AI Push, Offers ₹860 Crore Salary to Lure Top Talent

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is taking an aggressive and personal approach to build a world-class artificial intelligence (AI) team. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Zuckerberg is directly reaching out to top AI researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs worldwide, offering them unprecedented compensation packages of up to $100 million (around ₹860 crore). His goal is to form a new "Superintelligence" lab under Meta that would lead the company’s AI innovation and help it stay competitive with industry leaders like OpenAI and Google.

Zuckerberg’s recruitment style is highly personal. He has been contacting potential hires through emails and even WhatsApp messages, surprising many of them—some initially thought the messages were fake. In one notable instance, Meta reportedly offered to acquire an entire startup just to onboard its AI team. In another case, Zuckerberg spent more than $14 billion in an effort to recruit the CEO of Scale AI, showcasing the level of commitment and resources being poured into this initiative.

This high-stakes recruitment drive follows a series of setbacks for Meta in the AI field. The company recently delayed the launch of one of its AI models and faced criticism for allegedly misrepresenting the model’s performance. These missteps have fueled concerns that Meta is losing ground in the fast-evolving AI race. In response, Zuckerberg has stepped in personally as a “chief recruiter,” contacting major figures in AI, including OpenAI co-founders John Schulman and Bill Peebles, among others. While some have declined the offers, negotiations are still ongoing with several candidates.

The salary packages being offered are among the highest ever seen in the tech world, making this one of the most ambitious hiring campaigns in recent memory. However, despite the lucrative offers, some candidates are hesitant. Concerns include uncertainty about Meta’s current AI strategy, internal leadership dynamics, and direction. Multiple internal reorganizations have made the structure of Meta’s AI division unclear, which has led to confusion about who is leading the company’s AI efforts.

Another point of concern is a philosophical divide within Meta itself. The company’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, reportedly holds a different view on the future of AI. While most companies are heavily investing in large language models (LLMs) to push toward artificial general intelligence, LeCun has publicly disagreed with this approach. This internal conflict is causing further hesitation among top talent considering Meta’s offers.

Despite these challenges, Zuckerberg remains deeply involved and determined. He is part of a WhatsApp group called “Recruiting Party,” which includes Meta’s top HR executives and is used to strategize hiring moves. If a candidate shows interest, Zuckerberg often follows up personally, even inviting them for one-on-one meetings at his residences in Palo Alto or Lake Tahoe.

Zuckerberg is also assuring recruits that Meta’s financial and technical resources will not be an issue. With billions in advertising revenue and access to cutting-edge AI chips, he promises an environment free of funding and infrastructure concerns.

Meanwhile, companies like OpenAI are actively trying to retain their talent, offering counter-offers and incentives. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that none of their key team members have left for Meta yet, underlining the intensity of the competition for AI talent.