In a bold and aggressive move to dominate the artificial intelligence race,

Meta

CEO Mark Zuckerberg is assembling a dream team for the company’s new

Superintelligence Lab

. The tech giant has reportedly offered record-breaking salary packages ranging from Rs 800 crore to over Rs 1,600 crore to lure top minds from Apple, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic. The initiative aims to unify Meta’s fragmented AI projects and leap ahead in the race toward superintelligence, an even more ambitious goal than artificial general intelligence (AGI). With key hires and strategic leadership, Meta is now at the center of Silicon Valley’s escalating

AI talent war

.Meta’s recruitment spree signals a paradigm shift in the global AI race. As Zuckerberg pours billions into building a centralised AI superteam, rivals like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic will face intensified pressure to retain talent and accelerate innovation. Whether Meta’s Superintelligence Lab will achieve its lofty goals remains to be seen but the talent war has clearly entered an explosive new chapter.

Among the standout deals is Apple’s Ruoming Pang, who reportedly joined Meta for a staggering compensation package of $200 million (over Rs 1,600 crore). Similarly, OpenAI’s

Trapit Bansal

was offered $100 million (approximately Rs 800 crore). According to Bloomberg, these packages include base salary, substantial signing bonuses, and large equity grants with performance-linked clauses and extended vesting schedules, ensuring long-term loyalty. These deals make Meta’s AI salaries among the highest in the corporate world even surpassing many CEO compensation packages at global banks.

Meta’s Superintelligence Lab (MSL) is being built to rival OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic in the development of next-gen AI. Zuckerberg has made it clear: AI is the company’s top priority, and he’s willing to pay big to bring the best minds on board. The effort includes unifying Meta’s various AI teams under a central umbrella focused on creating “superintelligence,” a loosely defined concept that goes beyond AGI by outperforming the human brain itself.

Meta’s Superintelligence Lab is being led by some of the most high-profile figures in AI and tech:

Unlike artificial general intelligence (AGI), which aims to mimic human cognitive functions, superintelligence refers to AI systems that far exceed human intelligence in all domains. While still theoretical, it is seen as the ultimate frontier in AI, capable of solving complex problems across medicine, science, economy, and creativity. By investing in top-tier AI talent and consolidating its resources, Meta aims to leapfrog competitors and become a global leader in the development of superintelligent systems.

The massive salary deals are not simple cash payouts. Instead, they typically include:

This structure ensures that Meta’s AI hires are financially incentivized to stay long-term and align their success with the company’s stock performance and strategic goals.Also Read | What is BitChat? Jack Dorsey’s messaging app that works without internet using bluetooth; know its features and how it works