Meta's $1.5B Man Walks Away: Star Researcher Tulloch Resigns

Andrew Tulloch, the star AI researcher Meta once courted with a compensation package reportedly worth up to $1.5 billion, is calling it quits. He announced his departure to colleagues on Wednesday, without saying where he's headed next. Meta declined to comment.

Tulloch's story reads like a Silicon Valley thriller. He spent 11 years at Meta, left in 2023 for OpenAI, then co-founded Thinking Machines Lab. Last summer, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg went on a spending spree to lure him back, dangling a package that included a massive bonus and stock incentives. Tulloch initially said no. A few months later, he joined anyway—compensation undisclosed.

Now he's gone. And he's not alone.

A Growing Exodus

Tulloch is the third co-founder of Thinking Machines Lab to recently announce a departure. Barrett Zoph and Luke Metz left last month—Zoph went to Google, Metz to Meta. The pattern is hard to ignore.

Last month, Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean and three other senior researchers walked out to start their own AI venture. On Tuesday, a researcher from Anthropic resigned, citing concerns about the breakneck race to build technology that might ultimately become uncontrollable.

These aren't isolated exits. They're part of a broader shake-up in the AI world, where top talent is increasingly questioning not just where they work, but why.

Meta's Race to Catch Up

Just a day before Tulloch's announcement, Meta launched a new AI agent capable of sending emails, shopping online, and handling other tasks once authorized. In recent months, the company has released competitive models and a low-cost programming AI agent, signaling a renewed push to stay relevant.

But keeping talent? That's a different challenge.

Tulloch's departure raises uncomfortable questions. If a $1.5 billion offer couldn't keep him, what can? And as more researchers head for the exits—some to competitors, some to startups, some simply out—Meta's AI ambitions face a critical test.

For now, Tulloch isn't talking. Neither is Meta. But the silence speaks volumes.

Key Points

Andrew Tulloch, a star AI researcher, is leaving Meta after previously rejecting a compensation package worth up to $1.5 billion.
His departure marks the third co-founder exit from Thinking Machines Lab, following Barrett Zoph and Luke Metz.
The move adds to a growing exodus of top AI talent from major tech companies, including Google and Anthropic.
Meta recently launched a new AI agent and competitive models, but retaining top researchers remains a challenge.

Meta's $1.5B Man Walks Away: Star Researcher Tulloch Resigns