Meta Offers $200M to Apple’s AI Engineer Ruoming Pang in Landmark Deal
Meta Platforms Inc. is making waves in the artificial intelligence (AI) world after reportedly offering over $200 million in total compensation to Ruoming Pang, a former senior engineer who led Apple’s AI foundation models team. The record-breaking offer underscores Meta’s aggressive pursuit of top AI talent to power its newly formed Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL).
According to Bloomberg, the lucrative pay package includes stock incentives distributed over multiple years, far surpassing what Apple was willing to match, even for one of its most senior AI leaders. Sources close to the matter revealed that the compensation rivals, and in some cases exceeds, CEO pay at major global financial institutions.
Inside Meta’s Superintelligence Lab (MSL): Building the Future of AGI
Meta’s new Superintelligence Lab is focused on developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — AI systems capable of performing tasks at or beyond human intelligence. The lab has quickly become a magnet for high-profile talent, assembling one of the most elite AI teams in the world.
Notable Hires Include:
- Nat Friedman – Former CEO of GitHub
- Daniel Gross – AI entrepreneur and former Apple exec
- Alexandr Wang – Co-founder of Scale AI, now Meta’s Chief AI Officer following a $14.3 billion strategic deal where Meta acquired a 49% stake in his company
This team is tasked with pioneering AGI technologies that Meta hopes will place it ahead of rivals like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic.
How Meta Is Winning the AI Talent War
Meta’s compensation strategy is reshaping Silicon Valley’s competitive landscape. The company is reportedly offering:
- Hefty base salaries
- Seven- to eight-figure signing bonuses (to offset lost equity from previous roles)
- Performance-based Meta stock with extended vesting periods beyond the industry-standard four years
These incentives are designed to foster long-term loyalty and ensure alignment with Meta’s strategic AI ambitions.
The Bigger Picture: A New Era in AI Recruitment
Meta’s bold hiring approach comes amid a fierce AI talent war among tech giants like Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft. With a limited pool of elite researchers capable of building AGI, companies are offering unprecedented compensation packages to secure the best minds.
What Industry Leaders Are Saying:
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently admitted Meta had offered some of his employees up to $100 million to jump ship.
- Despite cultural loyalty, Meta’s deep pockets are proving difficult to resist.
Upcoming Flashpoint:
Both Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman are expected to attend the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley this week, setting the stage for a high-profile face-off amid the escalating AI recruitment race.
Meta’s High-Stakes Bet on Superintelligence
Meta’s $200 million offer to Ruoming Pang isn’t just a paycheck — it’s a declaration of intent. As the company stakes its future on AGI and generative AI, its recruitment strategy shows it’s willing to outspend and outmanoeuvre rivals to become a dominant force in the next era of computing.
For the AI world, this marks a turning point. The battle for intelligence is no longer just about models and data — it’s about talent.
