Meta reportedly offered a $1.25 billion contract to an AI expert for four years. The catch? The candidate turned it down.
The news came from Daniel Francis, founder of Abel, who tweeted about the jaw-dropping figure Sunday. That’s over $300 million a year on the table—and still a no-go for the target.
Daniel updated his followers: 
Update: was informed of a $1.25 billion offer for four years, new highest I’ve see
guys what the hell is going on
He later confirmed the candidate declined: “Person said no, btw.”
Meta is clearly playing big to snag top AI talent, with the money reflecting IP value locked in individuals’ heads, Daniel explained in replies.
AI researcher Roon, rumored to be a former OpenAI employee, backed this up saying $1 billion+ offers “aren’t that crazy” when viewed as an acquihire.
The $1.25 billion contract isn’t isolated. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed in June that Meta was offering $100 million signing bonuses to woo OpenAI engineers.
I’m really happy that, at least so far, none of our best people have decided to take them up on that
Sam Altman
The AI talent wars are escalating fast. Meta is betting huge on signing explosions of high-level staff. So far, the biggest bets aren’t always paying off.
