Mira Murati, the AI mastermind formerly steering the tech ship as CTO at OpenAI, just gave Silicon Valley a masterclass in commitment — and the art of saying “no” to a billion-dollar temptation. Yes, you read that right. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta reportedly dangled a staggering $1 billion offer to poach Murati and her elite team from her brand-new AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab. And in a plot twist worthy of a tech thriller, not a single soul on her team took the bait.
The offer from Meta aimed to recruit top AI talents for its freshly minted Superintelligence Lab, with mega-compensation packages ranging from $200 million to $1 billion—pretty much the tech world’s equivalent of a golden parachute. Yet, the Thinking Machines Lab team wasn’t swayed. Their loyalty lies with Murati’s long-term vision and equity stakes that they believe are worth more than any short-term jackpot Meta could offer.
In fact, Murati herself confirmed to Wired, “So far at Thinking Machines Lab, not a single person has taken the offer.”
Meta, predictably, pushed back. Andy Stone, Meta’s communications director, said they only made offers to a handful and denied the reported sums, adding a dash of mystery:
“Who is spinning this narrative and why?”
But Murati stands firm, revealing Meta even attempted to acquire Thinking Machines Lab, just as it did with ScaleAI, but to no avail.
So, who is this AI impresario turning down $1 billion like it’s pocket change?
Murati was born in 1988 in Vlorë, Albania. After winning a scholarship at 16, she attended Pearson College UWC in Canada. She holds degrees in both arts and engineering — a combo that clearly fires up her unique approach to technology and people.
Mira founded her AI startup in February 2025, but before that, she had worked at Zodiac Aerospace, Tesla (senior product manager on the Model X), and Leap Motion. While working at OpenAI as VP of Applied AI and Partnerships in 2018 and rose to CTO by 2022. She had an important role in the launch of AI products like ChatGPT, DALL·E, Codex, and Sora.
In November 2023 , she briefly stepped in as OpenAI’s interim CEO during a leadership transition before leaving in September 2024 to start her own AI venture.
Thinking Machines Lab, despite having no product yet, made headlines by raising an eye-watering $2 billion seed round at a $12 billion valuation. The largest seed round in tech history.
The startup aims to create ethical, accessible, and general-purpose AI that tackles global challenges like disease, climate change, and inequality. Murati’s vision also includes bringing experts outside traditional AI circles—scientists, policymakers, researchers—into early conversations, setting her apart from many tech companies.
Mira is a widely acclaimed person, with notable mentions:
- In 2024, she was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in AI.
- One of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business in 2023.
Why Did Murati’s Team Stay Loyal?
The team prioritized working as a part of the bigger mission rather than just running after money. Also, they are appreciating their independence and enjoying the learning process of building the AI from ground up.
Thinking Machines Lab has secured remarkable funding success, showing that strong vision and leadership can change the game.
So next time you hear about billion-dollar buyouts, remember: some visions aren’t for sale. Mira Murati and her Thinking Machines Lab team just proved it with style—and a billion-dollar “no, thanks.”
