Earlier this week, Ruoming Pang, the executive who recently headed Apple’s AI models team, departed the company to join Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). Reports suggest that Pang was attracted by one of the most substantial compensation packages witnessed in the ongoing AI talent competition, surpassing $200 million over several years.
As per Bloomberg, Meta’s proposal for Pang featured a significant base salary, a signing bonus, and a considerable quantity of Meta shares, with the stock being the most lucrative element of the deal. The compensation structure stipulates that Pang will only receive the complete payout if he remains with the company and the stock performs well. This bold tactic by Meta underscores its dedication to enhancing its MSL division.
Curiously, the $200 million amount surfaced soon after Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, minimized the company’s recruitment initiatives, even though claims from OpenAI’s Sam Altman stated that researchers were being offered $100 million to switch jobs. Bosworth indicated that while the talent market is competitive, it is not as intense as Altman suggested.
Pang’s exit might indicate a broader trend, as several engineers from his previous team are reportedly contemplating offers from Meta or planning their departures. In response to Pang’s leaving, Apple announced the appointment of Zhifeng Chen as the new lead for its Foundation Models team and adopted a more decentralized management framework among senior engineers.
