Who is Andrew Tulloch? Meet the man who rejected Marck Zuckerberg’s $1.5b job offer

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally attempted to recruit Andrew Tulloch — co-founder of AI startup Thinking Machines Lab — with a staggering $1.5 billion compensation package over six years, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). But Tulloch, a former researcher at both Meta and OpenAI, turned it down.

The offer came shortly after Meta’s failed $1 billion acquisition attempt of Thinking Machines Lab, led by CEO Mira Murati, OpenAI’s former Chief Technology Officer. After the rejection, Zuckerberg reportedly launched a “full-scale raid,” targeting more than a dozen of the startup’s 50 employees.

Inside Meta’s aggressive AI hiring push

WSJ reports that Meta has contacted over 100 OpenAI employees in recent months, successfully hiring at least 10. The company is also actively courting talent from spin-offs like Anthropic and Thinking Machines Lab in a race to build AI superintelligence.

However, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone dismissed the compensation figures as “inaccurate and ridiculous,” adding that total packages depend on stock performance. He also denied claims that Meta had attempted to acquire Thinking Machines.

Tulloch at the centre of AI power struggle

The WSJ report paints Tulloch as a key figure in Meta’s broader recruitment strategy. His refusal of the $1.5 billion offer has become symbolic in Silicon Valley’s escalating AI arms race — signalling a shift where top-tier talent is increasingly choosing independence over corporate incentives.

Despite Meta’s efforts, Wired reports that no employee at Thinking Machines Lab has accepted offers so far.

Who is Andrew Tulloch?

Andrew Tulloch is an Australian computer scientist and machine learning expert with a strong academic background and extensive industry experience.

After graduating with first-class honours and a University Medal in mathematics from the University of Sydney, he earned a master’s degree at Cambridge and pursued a PhD at UC Berkeley.

Tulloch began his career at Goldman Sachs before spending 11 years at Facebook (now Meta), where he helped develop key machine learning tools like PyTorch.

In 2023, he joined OpenAI to contribute to GPT-4’s development, and in early 2025, he co-founded the AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, which has already secured a $12 billion valuation despite not yet launching a product.

• Australian computer scientist and machine learning expert

• Graduated in mathematics, University of Sydney

• Completed master’s at Cambridge; pursued PhD at UC Berkeley

• Started career at Goldman Sachs

• Joined Facebook in 2012

• Joined OpenAI in 2023; worked on GPT-4

• Co-founded Thinking Machines Lab in 2025

• Startup valued at $12 billion despite no product launch

LinkedIn profile goes viral

Tulloch’s career path — from Goldman Sachs to Meta, OpenAI, and now Thinking Machines Lab — has gone viral on LinkedIn. Screenshots of his resume are widely shared as a “blueprint” for AI success.

On his personal website, Tulloch details his academic and professional journey, including his early work at Facebook on real-time ML systems and ad algorithms.

Silicon Valley’s defining moment?

Tulloch’s high-profile rejection of Meta’s offer underscores a new era in tech, where elite AI researchers are choosing autonomy and mission-driven work over eye-watering corporate packages. As the global AI race intensifies, the story of Thinking Machines is fast becoming a defining tale of Silicon Valley’s shifting power dynamics.