Microsoft Intensifies AI Talent War, Targets Meta's Top Engineers with Multimillion-Dollar Packages

Microsoft Lures Meta's Talent Pool With Multimillion-Dollar Pay Packages As The AI War Heats Up: Report - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)

Microsoft Corporation MSFT is reportedly ramping up its battle for artificial intelligence supremacy by aggressively targeting top AI talent from Meta Platforms, Inc. META, offering multimillion-dollar pay packages to secure key engineers and researchers amid a massive industry spending spree. Microsoft's Aggressive AI Hiring To Secure Market Lead According to internal documents obtained by Business Insider, Microsoft has identified its most-wanted Meta AI engineers and is implementing a new, highly competitive hiring process. This initiative aims to match Meta's lucrative compensation packages, including multimillion-dollar signing bonuses, to attract and retain elite AI talent. The tech giant's AI divisions, including Microsoft AI, led by former Google DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman and CoreAI, overseen by ex-Meta engineering head Jay Parikh, are spearheading this recruiting effort. A spreadsheet circulated among Microsoft hiring managers highlights targeted teams such as Reality Labs, GenAI Infrastructure and Meta AI Research, the report said. Microsoft did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. See Also: Ramit Sethi Lays Out the Most Common Money Traps -- And How To Dodge Them Before It's Too Late Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft's High-Stakes Pay Battles And Talent Wars Meta has set a high bar in this escalating competition, reportedly offering pay packages reaching as high as $250 million for some AI researchers, the report said. Previously, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also noted Meta's billion-dollar signing bonuses for his engineers. Meanwhile, Microsoft's internal pay guidelines show top compensation packages with salaries exceeding $400,000 and stock awards worth millions, with even higher offers possible for exceptional talent in competitive situations. These aggressive recruitment moves coincide with Microsoft's reported global layoffs of 9,000 employees, reflecting a shift to prioritize AI investments over other areas. AI Spending Hits Record $240 Billion The talent battle unfolds as Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL and other tech giants pour unprecedented capital into AI infrastructure. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called this surge a "watershed moment" for technology, with combined spending estimated at $240 billion through 2025 and 2026. In July, Microsoft posted fourth-quarter revenue of $76.44 billion, marking a 17% increase from the previous year and surpassing the Street consensus estimate of $73.80 billion. During the same month, Meta reported second-quarter revenue of $47.52 billion, topping analyst expectations of $44.58 billion. Microsoft currently has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, while Meta's at $1.98 trillion. Price Action: On Tuesday, Microsoft shares rose 1.40% while Meta climbed 3.15%, according to Benzinga Pro. Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that MSFT has maintained a downward trend across the short, medium and long term. Further performance details are available here. Read Next: AMD CEO Lisa Su Says China Strategy Rebounding As MI308 AI Chips Await US License: 'Better Position Than We Were Ninety Days Ago' Photo Courtesy: Tada Images on Shutterstock.com Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. GOOGAlphabet Inc$204.181.26%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentum71.03Growth73.36Quality85.58Value50.36Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewGOOGLAlphabet Inc$203.381.18%METAMeta Platforms Inc$791.003.28%MSFTMicrosoft Corp$531.001.77%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Microsoft Joins AI Talent War, Targets Meta AI with $250M Lures

Microsoft Ups the Ante in AI Hiring War, Targeting Meta AI Talent with Record $250 Million Packages The AI talent war has created a new front in the recruitment rooms. Microsoft is back from its fast-paced AI product ramp-up. Industry insiders have stated that the tech giant is secretly making a 'most-wanted' list of Meta's top engineers and researchers. Recruitment documents reveal recruiters have been instructed to act on 'lightning speed,' making offers within 24 hours to top candidates. The spotlight is on Reality Labs, GenAI Infrastructure, and Research specialists, the core teams in Meta's decade-long vision. The aim is to poach talent and stem a competitor's momentum.