Key Takeaways
- Soumith Chintala, Meta’s PyTorch co-creator, joins Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab
- Murati previously rejected Mark Zuckerberg’s $1 billion offer to join Meta
- Thinking Machines Lab is now seeking funding at a potential $50-60 billion valuation
In a major development in the AI talent competition, Soumith Chintala, one of Meta’s most prominent AI leaders and co-creator of PyTorch, has joined Thinking Machines Lab. The startup was founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, who made headlines months ago by turning down a reported $1 billion job offer from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The Billion-Dollar Standoff
According to Wall Street Journal reports, after Murati declined to sell her company despite the massive offer, Zuckerberg launched what was described as a “full-scale raid” on Thinking Machines’ talent. The Meta CEO reportedly approached more than a dozen of the startup’s 50 employees in subsequent weeks to gauge their interest in switching companies.
One of his primary targets was Andrew Tulloch, a leading researcher and co-founder at Thinking Machines. Wired reported that compensation packages ranging from $200 million to $1 billion over multiple years were offered to lure top AI researchers from Murati’s startup to join Meta’s Superintelligence Lab.
Chintala’s Departure from Meta
Chintala confirmed his new role at Thinking Machines Lab through social media posts on X and LinkedIn. His departure marks the conclusion of an 11-year tenure at Meta, where he spent nearly eight years leading the development of PyTorch.
“I’m stepping down from PyTorch and leaving Meta on November 17th. Eleven years at Meta. Nearly all my professional life. Making many friends for life. Almost eight years leading PyTorch, taking it from nothing to 90%+ adoption in AI. Walking away from this was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I’m leaving with a full heart,” wrote Chintala.
Restructuring at Meta
Chintala’s exit coincides with significant organizational changes at Meta. The company recently reorganized its AI initiatives into a new Superintelligence Labs division under Alexandr Wang, former Scale AI CEO. Meta has been aggressively recruiting from competitors including OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Apple.
Recent online reports also suggest that Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist and FAIR founder, might be preparing to depart the company.
Thinking Machines’ Funding Surge
Thinking Machines Lab, founded less than a year ago by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati, is in preliminary discussions to raise new funding at a valuation of approximately $50 billion. Bloomberg reports indicate this financing would more than quadruple the startup’s valuation since July, positioning Thinking Machines among the most valuable private companies despite its recent launch.
Negotiations are ongoing and terms could change, according to anonymous sources familiar with the private discussions. While multiple sources indicate a target valuation around $50 billion, some suggest it could reach $55-60 billion.
The company, launched in February, focuses on developing AI models and tools to enhance human-AI collaboration across various industries.
