OpenAI Fends Off Meta’s $100 Million Poaching Attempt and Secures a $200 Million Contract with the U.S. Department of Defense
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Reveals Meta’s Over $100 Million Bid to Recruit Engineers
On June 17, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman disclosed on the YouTube program “Uncapped,” hosted by his brother Jack Altman, that Meta has offered over $100 million in signing bonuses to poach OpenAI engineers. However, he emphasized that none of their strongest core talents have left. Almost simultaneously, OpenAI successfully signed a $200 million pilot contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, marking its entry into the defense AI market, intensifying the competition between the two tech giants in the AI sector.
Meta’s High-Stakes Recruitment of OpenAI Employees to Build an “Superintelligent” AI Team
Altman described Meta’s recruitment efforts as outrageous, revealing that they offered $100 million to lure away his engineers, with potential salary packages even higher. He added that Meta has made very attractive offers to several OpenAI employees, but so far, not a single core or top talent has left.
To build an AI superintelligent team, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has even personally engaged in recruitment activities. Recently, they invested a staggering $14.3 billion into AI company Scale AI, successfully recruiting its CEO, Alexandr Wang, into their AI superintelligent team. Reports indicate that Meta has successfully poached talent from several well-known tech firms, including Google DeepMind’s chief researcher Jack Rae, extending their recruitment efforts across the entire tech industry.
Left: Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, Right: Google DeepMind chief researcher Jack Rae
Altman Subtly Critiques Meta: True Innovation Is Not Just About Money
Regarding Meta’s recent recruitment drive, Altman stated that Meta views OpenAI as its biggest competitor, which he respects. However, he pointed out that while Meta is very proactive in investing and willing to experiment, he believes they still lack true innovative capabilities. Altman also shared his thoughts on why these individuals are rejecting Meta’s lucrative offers, saying:
“If work becomes solely about money, rather than passion or a sense of mission, building such a corporate culture carries a high risk. I believe we understand many things that Meta still does not.”
OpenAI Secures $200 Million AI Contract with the U.S. Department of Defense
Less than a day later, OpenAI announced that it had signed a one-year pilot contract worth $200 million with the U.S. Department of Defense to assist the military in testing AI technologies for administrative and cybersecurity operations. This contract marks the first major project for OpenAI’s newly established division, “OpenAI for Government.”
The official statement indicated that this division integrates previously fragmented government collaboration projects, including ChatGPT Gov, and initiatives with NASA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and the Department of Treasury. The focus of this collaboration is to streamline military healthcare administrative processes, prevent cyber attacks, and enhance operational efficiency. OpenAI previously partnered with defense tech company Anduril to develop AI anti-drone systems and has recruited former national security officials to join its policy team and board, actively expanding its influence in the defense and government AI sectors while emphasizing adherence to democratic values and public interest.
Risk Warning
Investing in cryptocurrency carries a high level of risk, and prices can be extremely volatile. You may lose your entire principal. Please assess the risks carefully.
