Meta hires Apple's top AI exec with pay deal exceeding $200 million

Meta offered over $200 million to recruit Apple's software engineer Ruoming Pang to its new superintelligence team, part of a broader push with unusually high compensation for top AI talents

Meta Platforms Inc has offered exceptionally high remuneration packages to new members of its ‘superintelligence’ unit, including a deal exceeding $200 million for a former senior Apple engineer.

 

Meta has appointed Ruoming Pang, former head of Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) team, with a compensation package reportedly worth several hundred million US dollars over multiple years, according to Bloomberg. Apple opted not to counter the offer, as such figures are well above the norm for leadership roles at the company, excluding Chief Executive Tim Cook.

 

High compensation offers for AI talent 

This level of remuneration is consistent with other major appointments to Meta’s superintelligence initiative, which now features former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and AI entrepreneur Daniel Gross. Additionally, Meta named Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang as its Chief AI Officer by acquiring a 49 per cent stake in his company, valued at $14.3 billion.

 

What is superintelligence

 

‘Superintelligence’ refers to a level of artificial intelligence that surpasses human capabilities across all domains. Currently, no AI system has reached this threshold.

 

Today’s technologies remain beneath the threshold of artificial general intelligence (AGI), which represents the ability to match human proficiency across a broad array of tasks. AGI is a theoretical type of AI designed to exhibit cognitive capabilities equivalent to those of humans.   

      Unparalleled compensation packages

 

From a numerical standpoint, the compensation levels within Meta’s superintelligence team rank among the highest in the corporate world, even surpassing CEO roles at leading global banks. However, much of the remuneration is performance-based and dependent on long-term commitment. If staff departs prematurely or if Meta’s stock underperforms, large portions of the package may remain unclaimed.

 

The structure of these compensation packages within Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) includes a base salary, a signing bonus, and a significant allocation of Meta shares — with the equity component forming the bulk of the total offer. Initial cash payments can be substantial, particularly in cases where candidates are relinquishing valuable startup equity. In such scenarios, the signing bonus may be increased to offset these losses.

 

Meta’s recent AI struggles 

Once viewed as a frontrunner in open-source AI innovation, Meta has recently encountered internal setbacks. These include key employee departures and delays in releasing next-generation models intended to rival those from Google, OpenAI, and China-based DeepSeek.