Australian AI Prodigy Rejects Mark Zuckerberg’s $1 billion Offer To Join Meta.
Andrew Tulloch, a Perth-born AI researcher and University of Sydney graduate, has made headlines by turning down a staggering $1 billion (£750 million) offer from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to join the company’s Superintelligence Labs. The 34-year-old’s decision to prioritise his work at Thinking Machines Lab, a San Francisco-based AI start-up he co-founded, has sparked widespread admiration and sent his LinkedIn profile viral across the tech community.
Tulloch’s journey in artificial intelligence is nothing short of remarkable. After graduating with distinction in mathematical statistics from Cambridge University, he spent over a decade at Meta (then Facebook), rising to the rank of distinguished engineer. In 2023, he joined OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, before teaming up with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati to launch Thinking Machines Lab in 2024. The start-up, valued at $12 billion despite not yet releasing products, focuses on building safer, customisable multimodal AI systems capable of processing text, speech, and visuals in real time.
Meta’s offer, reportedly worth $1 billion over six years with potential bonuses tied to stock performance, was part of Zuckerberg’s aggressive campaign to bolster his Superintelligence Labs. The tech giant has been recruiting top talent to compete with rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, with Zuckerberg personally reaching out via WhatsApp to lure researchers. Tulloch was one of over a dozen Thinking Machines Lab staff approached, with offers ranging from $200 million to $500 million over four years. One researcher was even offered a chief scientist role, but none accepted, citing a commitment to their start-up’s mission and concerns over Meta’s product roadmap and leadership style.
Sources close to the negotiations suggest Tulloch’s rejection was driven by his desire to maintain independence and focus on innovative AI research. Thinking Machines Lab, with around 50 employees, has already raised $16.5 million from investors, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The start-up’s vision of developing AI that prioritizes safety and customization has resonated deeply with its team, who turned down Meta’s lucrative offers unanimously under Murati’s leadership.
Meta has disputed the exact figures, with a spokesperson calling the $1 billion offer “inaccurate and ridiculous.” However, the company confirmed that recruitment efforts are ongoing as it seeks to build a world-class AI division. Zuckerberg’s hiring spree has already secured high-profile talent, including Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang and former Apple AI head Ruoming Pang, with compensation packages reportedly exceeding $200 million. Despite these successes, Meta’s aggressive tactics have drawn criticism, with OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman accusing the company of poaching talent in a manner that feels like “someone has broken into our home.”
Tulloch’s bold decision underscores the fierce competition for AI talent in Silicon Valley, where researchers are increasingly valued as much for their vision as for their technical expertise. His LinkedIn profile, detailing his journey from Goldman Sachs to Cambridge and through the tech giants, has become a focal point online, inspiring discussions about the balance between financial rewards and professional purpose. As Thinking Machines Lab continues to grow, Tulloch and his team are poised to shape the future of AI, proving that sometimes, a billion dollars isn’t enough to sway true innovation.