Meta allegedly proposed a $1.25 billion offer over four years to an AI specialist at Abel, yet, despite an annual salary equivalent to $312 million, the individual reportedly declined the offer.
In the competitive world of artificial intelligence, the race for top talent has reached new heights. A recent offer from Meta to OpenAI technical staff serves as a prime example, with reports of a potential $1 billion compensation package causing a stir on the internet.
The offer, which includes a $100 million signing bonus, is part of a growing trend in the AI industry. According to AI researcher Roon, who has worked at OpenAI, such high offers can be seen as an "acquihire," implying the value of intellectual property in the current AI era.
The offer to OpenAI's technical staff is not an isolated incident. In July 2025, Daniel Francis, the founder of AI startup Abel, revealed on Twitter that Meta had offered him a $1.25 billion contract for a four-year stint. Daniel's tweet suggests that Meta is actively seeking high-caliber AI talent with significant financial incentives.
The trend of offering billion-dollar contracts to AI talent is not uncommon, according to Roon and other replies to Daniel's tweet. In fact, it's become a common strategy among leading AI companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic, as they aggressively grow their teams and extend lucrative offers to prevent poaching by rivals.
The surge in remuneration for high-caliber AI executives and top AI talent is most pronounced at the executive and senior specialist level. Roles such as Principal Data Scientist and Head of Data Science have seen salary increases of over 30% in the UK market over the last two years, with average salaries approaching £90,000–£100,000 or more depending on seniority and specialization. In the US market, AI engineers and machine learning engineers earn on average between $125,000 and $165,000 in major cities, but these are base figures that can be supplemented with bonuses, equity, and other incentives.
Companies are not only competing with pay but also with stock options, multi-year bonuses, and tailored compensation methods that tie employee value to company success. The talent war is reshaping compensation models, pushing salaries and bonuses to unprecedented levels for top AI executives and senior researchers.
However, it seems that not all offers are accepted. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, confirmed in June 2025 that Meta was offering $100 million signing bonuses to some of OpenAI's technical staff. Yet, according to Altman, none of OpenAI's best people had accepted the offer as of June 2025.
The current trend in remuneration for high-caliber AI executives and top-tier researchers shows a dramatic increase, especially in the most competitive sectors and companies. This surge in remuneration is part of broader salary growth in AI roles, but it is most pronounced at the executive and senior specialist level tied to foundational AI models and breakthrough projects.
This news underscores the intense competition for elite AI talent and the financial incentives offered to attract them. As the AI industry continues to grow and evolve, it's likely that these remuneration trends will continue to escalate, further shaping the landscape of AI research and development.
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