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Zuckerberg’s “Secret List” Snags 8 from OpenAI as Meta’s AI Raid Intensifies
3 min read Zuckerberg is personally leading Meta’s AI talent raid—poaching 8 OpenAI researchers so far. Behind the scenes: a secret list, massive offers, and exec group chats called “Recruiting Party.” Altman’s silence is starting to sound like worry. June 30, 2025 14:44
Meta has now poached eight researchers from OpenAI, including four more this week alone—part of what’s shaping up to be Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive and personal AI talent raid, according to a new Wall Street Journal report.
What’s going on?
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Meta reportedly hired four additional AI researchers, including core contributors to O1, O3-mini, and GPT-4.1—joining the four who left OpenAI last week.
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The WSJ reveals that Zuckerberg is personally curating a “secret list” of top AI minds and offering massive compensation packages to reel them in.
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He’s said to regularly review academic papers, vet potential hires, and even run a group chat named “Recruiting Party” with Meta execs strategizing their next moves.
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Tensions escalated when Meta’s CTO publicly called Sam Altman “dishonest” over his comments about Meta offering $100M bonuses—claiming Altman is just bitter because “Meta is winning.”
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Meanwhile, an internal OpenAI memo obtained by WIRED shows CRO Mark Chen trying to calm nerves and reassure employees about the recent exits.
Why it matters
Sam Altman may have dismissed the poaching last week as a minor ripple—but eight exits, a deleted concerned tweet from an OAI staffer, and damage control memos suggest it’s anything but.
In 2025, the old mantra that “OpenAI is nothing without its people” suddenly feels less like a rallying cry… and more like a warning shot.
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