Microsoft Courts Meta’s AI Stars with Mega Paychecks After 15,000 Layoffs

In the high-stakes race for artificial intelligence dominance, Microsoft is playing hardball — even if it means raiding Meta’s talent pool. After a year marked by 15,000 layoffs, the tech giant is now dangling multimillion-dollar paychecks and lightning-fast job offers to lure Meta’s top AI minds.

A Business Insider report revealed that Microsoft has quietly compiled a “most-wanted” list featuring names, roles, and locations of key Meta AI engineers and researchers. These individuals have been labeled as “critical AI talent,” a status that allows Microsoft recruiters to bypass lengthy hiring processes and present offers within 24 hours. The company is prepared to match or even outbid Meta’s lavish pay packages, sometimes adding massive signing bonuses.

Two insiders told Business Insider that such high-dollar offers — once rare — are now “becoming more common” in the AI job market. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently claimed that some of Meta’s most coveted AI experts have received $100 million in signing bonuses, with total compensation packages soaring to $250 million.

Microsoft’s push is led by AI chief Mustafa Suleyman and CoreAI boss Jay Parikh — himself a former Meta engineering leader. They’re supported by dedicated recruitment teams whose sole mission is to secure these high-value hires. It’s part of Microsoft’s broader ambition to solidify its AI leadership and edge closer to its goal of a $4 trillion market valuation.

Yet this aggressive talent hunt comes against the backdrop of sweeping job cuts. In the past year, Microsoft has trimmed roughly 15,000 roles. The reductions began in January with the elimination of just under 1% of staff, described internally as a performance-based move. The biggest blow came in May, with more than 6,000 positions cut, followed by another 300 in June. These follow earlier layoffs in 2023, when about 10,000 employees were let go.

The strategy underscores a paradox in today’s tech industry: while companies are willing to spend staggering sums to secure elite AI talent, thousands of other workers are being shown the door. Industry observers point out that AI-driven automation — touted as a tool to reduce repetitive tasks — is also quietly contributing to job losses.

Following the latest wave of cuts, CEO Satya Nadella addressed employees in a memo obtained by CNBC. “Before anything else, I want to speak to what’s been weighing heavily on me, and what I know many of you are thinking about: the recent job eliminations,” Nadella wrote.

As of June 2024, Microsoft’s global workforce numbered 228,000. While no official 2025 figure has been disclosed, Nadella maintains that the company’s headcount remains “basically flat” despite the layoffs.

For now, Microsoft’s message to the AI elite is clear: if you’re among the best, there’s a blank check waiting. But for thousands of others, the rise of AI is proving to be less about opportunity — and more about survival.