Meta Platforms (META), the parent company of Facebook, has made headlines for its aggressive and costly campaign to establish itself as a leader in artificial intelligence. In recent months, the company has dramatically increased its spending, targeting the world’s most sought-after AI researchers with compensation packages that, according to industry reports, can reach or even exceed $100 million over several years. These offers are typically reserved for a select group of senior researchers and executives, reflecting the extreme scarcity and value of elite AI talent.

The most prominent example of Meta’s willingness to spend came with its $14.3 billion investment for a 49% stake in Scale AI, a leading data-labeling company. This move was widely seen as a strategic “acqui-hire,” designed not only to gain access to Scale AI’s technology, but also to secure the leadership and expertise of its founder, Alexandr Wang, and his team. This single transaction stands as one of the largest talent-driven investments in the technology sector’s history, signaling Meta’s determination to outpace competitors like OpenAI and Google (GOOG) (GOOGL). Meta is already the largest buyer of compute outside the traditional cloud hyperscalers like Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet, showing its intent to compete with these traditional powerhouses. This comes after Meta announced a $10 billion data center in December, and its plans to spend as much as $72 billion on AI in 2025. 

Beyond large-scale acquisitions, Meta has been actively recruiting individual researchers from rival companies. Reports indicate that the company has extended offers worth $100 million or more to a handful of top OpenAI scientists, sometimes including immediate stock vesting and substantial equity grants. While such figures are not the norm for all AI engineers at Meta — most of whom reportedly earn between $850,000 and $1.5 million annually — they highlight the extraordinary lengths Meta is willing to go to attract and retain the very best minds in artificial intelligence. Bank of America estimates that Meta will be spending $1 billion per year on its top 50 hires, which averages out to $20 million per employee — an unprecedented sum of money. 

This massive investment in talent is part of a broader strategy. Meta’s overall capital expenditures for 2025 are projected to reach between $64 and $72 billion, with a significant portion dedicated to AI research, infrastructure, and recruitment. The rationale behind this spending is clear: Meta’s leadership, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, views AI as critical to the company’s future and is determined to secure a leading position in the field, even if it means outbidding every other player in the industry.

The implications of Meta’s spending spree are being felt across the technology landscape. Industry leaders and observers have expressed concern that such high compensation packages could disrupt company cultures and set unsustainable precedents. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, for example, has publicly questioned whether these offers are healthy for the sector in the long term. Nevertheless, Meta’s approach underscores the fierce competition for a small pool of top-tier AI researchers — estimated to number only a few thousand worldwide.

Ultimately, Meta’s willingness to spend billions on AI talent acquisition, including unprecedented $100 million offers, reflects both the high stakes of the AI race and the company’s belief that controlling the future of artificial intelligence will require not just technology, but the world’s brightest minds. Whether this strategy will pay off in the long run remains to be seen, but it has already reshaped the market for AI talent and intensified the global battle for innovation.