An Australian expert in artificial intelligence has reportedly declined a 1 billion-dollar proposal from billionaire Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.
Andrew Tulloch, a graduate of the University of Sydney who was raised in Perth, dedicated over ten years to working at Facebook's parent company before moving to the competing OpenAI.
In February, Tulloch co-founded the AI start-up Thinking Machines Lab alongside former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati. The company is now said to be valued at US$12 billion (A$18.5 billion).
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Zuckerberg attempted to acquire Thinking Machines Lab earlier this year, but Murati turned down his proposal. Subsequently, Meta's CEO sought to attract the company's top talent, including Tulloch.
Tulloch was reportedly offered a pay package of US$1 billion (A$1.55 billion) spread over six years, with the possibility of additional earnings through bonuses and stock performance.
Nevertheless, the Perth-born 'genius' rejected the offer. Meta later informed the Journal that the reported US$1 billion figure was 'inaccurate and ridiculous'.
Mr. Tulloch relocated to the US in 2012 and spent 11 years at Facebook's AI division, where he advanced to the position of distinguished engineer.
Mike Vernal, a former Facebook executive who collaborated with Mr. Tulloch, remarked: 'He was definitely known as an extreme genius.'
In 2023, he transitioned to OpenAI, the research organization behind ChatGPT, before reuniting with former colleagues to establish Thinking Machines Lab this year.The start-up emphasizes its mission to make 'AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable.