OpenAI Leadership Addresses Talent Poaching by Meta in AI Research Competition

On June 29, 2025, Mark Chen, the Chief Research Officer at OpenAI, addressed the company's employees in a Slack memo expressing grave concern over recent talent poaching by Meta. The memo was prompted by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's successful recruitment of four senior researchers from OpenAI to enhance Meta's superintelligence lab. Chen vividly described his feelings, stating it felt like "someone has broken into our home and stolen something." To counter this aggressive talent acquisition, Chen reassured staff that OpenAI is actively engaged in securing its top researchers, working alongside Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, and other leaders round-the-clock. He mentioned recalibrating compensation packages and exploring innovative ways to reward leading talent. Despite his determination to retain staff, Chen expressed his commitment to fairness, indicating he would not sacrifice equitable treatment of all employees in the process. This situation reflects a significant competition within Silicon Valley, particularly as Zuckerberg is reportedly offering bonuses of $100 million and attractive year-one compensation packages. These claims have been alluded to by Altman during a podcast, with sources at OpenAI corroborating the figures, although Meta representatives have challenged their accuracy. Corporate insiders reveal that Meta is intensifying its recruitment efforts, particularly targeting talent from OpenAI and Google, with a flexible approach toward compensation for top-tier professionals. As the AI talent war escalates, the dynamics between these two tech giants highlight the growing stakes involved in securing leading research capabilities.

On June 30, 2025, Mark Chen, the Chief Research Officer at OpenAI, sent a critical memo to employees, expressing deep concern over Meta's aggressive recruitment strategy that led to the poaching of four senior researchers for its newly established superintelligence lab. This incident has raised tensions within the competitive landscape of artificial intelligence research in Silicon Valley. In his communication via Slack, Chen likened the situation to an invasion, stating, "I feel a visceral feeling right now, as if someone has broken into our home and stolen something." He reassured staff that the OpenAI leadership, including CEO Sam Altman, is actively addressing the situation by recalibrating compensation and exploring creative recognition for top talent. Chen highlighted his commitment to fairness in retaining staff, noting, "While I’ll fight to keep every one of you, I won’t do so at the price of fairness to others." This memo follows reports of Meta offering signing bonuses of up to $100 million to OpenAI employees, fueling speculation about Meta’s talent acquisition strategy. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also taken a direct approach, personally reaching out to potential recruits. The internal memo from Chen includes endorsements from seven other research leaders at OpenAI, signaling a united front in the face of intense competition. Despite efforts from both companies, neither OpenAI nor Meta responded to requests for additional comments.