Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, has joined Meta, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing competition for elite AI talent. Tulloch, a machine learning veteran with experience at both OpenAI and Facebook AI Research (FAIR), confirmed his departure in a message to Thinking Machines employees.

Though Meta denied reports claiming the company offered as much as $1.5 billion in incentives to lure him, sources say the final package was still substantial.

This recruitment follows CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s failed attempt to acquire Thinking Machines outright, part of an aggressive campaign to build out Meta’s artificial general intelligence (AGI) capabilities.

Tulloch is set to join Meta’s new TBD Labs, reporting to Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang. Although his exact responsibilities haven’t been disclosed, the move is seen as a major win for Meta as it seeks to recover from recent setbacks and retool its AI division for long-term impact.

Why It Matters: Tulloch’s hiring shows that Meta remains undeterred in its mission to lead the AGI race, even amid recent internal restructuring and a hiring freeze. As the pool of AI researchers capable of building frontier models remains small, securing top-tier individuals like Tulloch could define Meta’s competitive edge for years to come.

• A Targeted Recruitment Years in the Making: Meta’s interest in Andrew Tulloch appears to have been longstanding, tied closely to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s attempt to buy Thinking Machines Lab earlier this year. When the acquisition effort failed, Zuckerberg allegedly pivoted to focus on recruiting Tulloch directly, offering a compensation package that some insiders said could approach $1.5 billion over six years. Although Meta has since denied these figures, the recruitment reflects the intensity of its talent acquisition strategy when targeting individuals with foundational experience in cutting-edge model development and AI infrastructure. Tulloch ultimately chose to leave Thinking Machines “for personal reasons,” but the timing and destination suggest a clear alignment with Meta’s long-term goals.

• Tulloch’s Technical Pedigree and Industry Clout: Andrew Tulloch brings an impressive background to Meta with experience at OpenAI during crucial periods in its development and previously at Meta’s own FAIR research group. At Thinking Machines Lab, Tulloch was a leader in establishing a research culture focused on next-generation AI systems, working alongside Mira Murati, OpenAI’s former CTO. His strengths lie in building scalable machine learning infrastructure and pushing the boundaries of model performance, skills that make him an ideal fit for Meta’s ambitions in AGI. His credibility within the machine learning community also strengthens Meta’s reputation at a time when researcher loyalty and influence are becoming competitive assets.

• Inside Meta’s New AI Structure: TBD Labs and Beyond: Tulloch is set to join the newly launched TBD Labs, an internal unit at Meta that operates separately from its headline-grabbing Superintelligence Labs. While little is known about TBD Labs, it falls under the leadership of Alexandr Wang, the former Scale AI CEO now serving as Meta’s Chief AI Officer. Sources suggest the lab may focus on foundational model development and experimental systems that fall outside the purview of Superintelligence Labs, which has taken a more public-facing role. Tulloch’s placement here suggests that Meta is carving out specialized teams to handle increasingly complex layers of its AI pipeline and that trusted, skilled hires like Tulloch are central to those efforts.

• Strategic Hiring Amid a Pause in Broader Recruitment: Though Meta recently froze all AI hiring and reorganized its Superintelligence Labs into four separate verticals, Tulloch’s hiring offers insight into how selectively the company is still pursuing top-tier talent. According to Axios, Meta continues to restrict even internal job transfers within the AI division as it stabilizes after a wave of expansion, with all movement requiring approval from Wang. Tulloch’s onboarding during this freeze underscores that the pause is more concerned with reorienting toward quality and long-term impact rather than halting investment.

• A Flashpoint in the Meta–OpenAI Rivalry: Tulloch’s move also adds fuel to the growing rivalry between Meta and OpenAI, both of which have now traded top talent in a series of escalating recruitment battles. Meta has made several successful attempts to poach from OpenAI, while OpenAI, in turn, has hired engineers from Meta, Tesla, and even xAI. As both companies push toward AGI, each new high-profile hire becomes a competitive signal to the rest of the industry.

Go Deeper -> Thinking Machines Lab co-founder Andrew Tulloch heads to Meta – TechCrunch

Behind the scenes: Meta still on prowl for AI talent – Axios

Meta Freezes AI Hiring Following Strategic Reorganization Of Its Division – The National CIO Review