Meta's Talent Hunt: Another Key Engineer Leaves Thinking Machines

The Silicon Valley Brain Drain Continues

Meta has landed another major catch in its aggressive recruitment of AI talent, this time plucking senior software engineer Joshua Gross from Thinking Machines. According to LinkedIn updates, Gross now leads the engineering team at Meta's Super Intelligence Lab - a significant coup for the social media giant.

Gross brings impressive credentials to Meta. After stints at both OpenAI and Meta earlier in his career, he joined Thinking Machines where he built and launched their flagship product, Tinker. This creative software platform allows users to generate AI-powered videos, images, 3D models, and even comic books.

Thinking Machines Feels the Pinch

This isn't the first high-profile departure from the $12 billion startup. Meta has already recruited five founding members, including co-founder Andrew Tulloch. Competitor OpenAI also poached the company's former CTO Barret Zoph and cybersecurity expert Jolene Parish.

"The talent marketplace has become a free-for-all," says one Silicon Valley recruiter who asked to remain anonymous. "When you have companies like Meta offering eight-figure packages, startups often can't compete on compensation alone."

The Talent Battle Goes Both Ways

Thinking Machines hasn't been passive in this war for talent. The startup made waves last year by hiring PyTorch creator Soumith Chintala as its new CTO. They've also brought on competitive programming champion Neal Wu.

Since completing a $2 billion funding round last year, the company has grown to about 130 employees - more than four times its original size. This expansion suggests Thinking Machines remains an attractive destination despite the poaching attempts.

The Stakes Keep Rising

The compensation packages being offered for top AI talent have reached staggering levels:

• Mark Zuckerberg reportedly offered up to $100 million to lure OpenAI employees
• Google allegedly tabled a $2.4 billion contract for the CEO of AI tools company Windsurf
• Apple distributed stock bonuses between $200,000-$400,000 to hardware designers this spring

With demand for AI expertise far outstripping supply, these eye-popping numbers may just be the beginning. As one industry veteran put it: "In this market, if you're not making counteroffers, you're not really trying to keep your team."

Key Points

• Meta recruits Thinking Machines' senior engineer Joshua Gross to lead engineering at its Super Intelligence Lab
• Fifth founding member to leave Thinking Machines for Meta
• Startup fights back with high-profile hires including PyTorch creator Soumith Chintala
• Compensation packages reach new heights with $100 million offers reported
• AI talent shortage shows no signs of easing as demand continues to grow