OpenAI reclaims two co-founders from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab in major talent coup
11 Sources
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Mira Murati's startup, Thinking Machines Lab, is losing two of its co-founders to OpenAI | TechCrunch
Former OpenAI exec Mira Murati's startup, Thinking Machines Lab, is saying goodbye to two of its co-founders, both of whom are headed back to OpenAI. Another former OpenAI staffer who went to work for Murati's startup is also headed back to the company. On social media on Wednesday, Murati
[2]
Two Thinking Machines Lab Cofounders Are Leaving to Rejoin OpenAI
Thinking Machines cofounders Barret Zoph and Luke Metz are leaving the fledgling AI lab and rejoining OpenAI, the ChatGPT-maker announced on Thursday. OpenAI's CEO of Applications Fidji Simo shared the news in a memo to staff Thursday afternoon. The news was first reported on X by technology
[3]
Sam Altman Is Tearing Apart His Former Colleague's Startup
OpenAI just rehired former employees who previously left the company to work at Thinking Machines Lab. The AI industry’s talent-poaching war is heating up, and it’s starting to seem personal. This week, two Thinking Machines Lab co-founders, Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, left the startup to
[4]
Behind the defections from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines: money, compute constraints, and a lack of clarity on products and business model | Fortune
Those keeping tabs on Silicon Valley's AI talent wars were gripped this week by news that three members of the founding team at Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup run by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, are leaving to return to OpenAI, where they all worked previously. Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of
[5]
Vellore Institute of Technology Alumni is Thinking Machines Lab's New CTO | AIM
Mira Murati's startup is undergoing leadership changes with three co-founders leaving the company. Thinking Machines Lab, the company co-founded and led by OpenAI's former CTO Mira Murati, has announced a leadership change and departure. The company announced that it has parted ways with CTO
[6]
OpenAI rehires top talent as Murati's $12B startup loses co-founders
Mira Murati's startup Thinking Machines Lab lost co-founder and CTO Barret Zoph to OpenAI on Wednesday, followed by co-founder Luke Metz and former OpenAI staffer Sam Schoenholz returning to the company. Murati, CEO of Thinking Machines Lab, announced Zoph's departure on X. She stated, "We have
[7]
Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab Loses 3 Founding Members to OpenAI
It is said that former CTO Barret Zoph was fired due to unethical conduct Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab appears to be going through a rough patch. The startup, which is yet to launch its first product or prototype, lost one of the co-founders to Meta last October. Now, on Wednesday, Murati
[8]
Key researchers return to OpenAI from former CTO Mira Murati's Thinking Labs - The Economic Times
Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz have officially rejoined the company, following a brief stint at former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's artificial intelligence (AI) startup. The return of the trio is good news for the Sam Altman-led company, which was hit by multiple departures last year amid
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Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Reportedly Faces Exodus As Employees Consider Following Founders Back To OpenAI Amid Funding Struggles
Enter your email to get Benzinga's ultimate morning update: The PreMarket Activity Newsletter Several employees at the nearly one-year-old AI startup Thinking Machines Lab are reportedly in discussions to leave the company and rejoin former OpenAI executives. OpenAI Alumni Leading The Exodus On
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Barret Zoph Reportedly Fired From Thinking Machines By Mira Murati For 'Unethical Conduct,' Immediately Returns To OpenAI - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
On Wednesday, OpenAI rehired former executive Barret Zoph after he was reportedly fired from Mira Murati's AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab. Conflicting Accounts Surround Zoph's Exit The development was first disclosed on X by technology reporter Kylie Robison, who said Zoph had been dismissed
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OpenAI pulls back senior talent from Mira Murati's AI startup, hires back two co-founders
The talent exits mark another setback for Murati's high-profile startup, which raised $2 billion in mid-2025 at a $12 billion valuation. AI talent was among the most talked about things last year with big tech giants rolling multi million dollar packages to poach them. Well, it seems to continue
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Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is losing two of its co-founders—Barret Zoph and Luke Metz—who are returning to OpenAI. The departures come amid allegations of unethical conduct and reveal deeper challenges facing new AI labs trying to compete with established players in Silicon Valley's increasingly fierce AI talent wars.
OpenAI Secures Major Win in AI Talent Wars
Thinking Machines Lab faces a significant setback as two of its co-founders rejoining OpenAI just months after the startup's launch. Barret Zoph, who served as CTO, and Luke Metz, both departed the company founded by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati to return to their previous employer
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. Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of Applications, announced the personnel shakeup on X, stating that the move "has been in the works for several weeks" and that Sam Schoenholz, another Thinking Machines staffer, would also be joining them2
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Source: ET
The timing raises eyebrows. Murati announced Zoph's departure on social media Wednesday, revealing that Soumith Chintala new CTO would take over the role. Chintala, the co-creator of PyTorch and a Vellore Institute of Technology alumnus, brings over a decade of AI contributions to the position
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. Just 58 minutes later, Simo's announcement confirmed the trio's return to OpenAI1
.Allegations of Unethical Conduct Surface
The departures weren't entirely smooth. Reports emerged that Thinking Machines terminated Zoph over allegations of unethical conduct. Sources close to the company told WIRED that Zoph shared confidential company information with competitors
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. According to Simo's internal memo to OpenAI staff, Zoph informed Murati on Monday he was considering leaving and was fired two days later. However, Simo explicitly stated that OpenAI does not share Thinking Machines' concerns about Zoph3
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Source: Gadgets 360
Additional defections are reportedly underway. At least two more Thinking Machines researchers, Lia Guy and Ian O'Connell, are leaving, with Guy heading to OpenAI
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. This marks the second wave of co-founder departures for the startup—Andrew Tulloch left to join Meta in October1
.Money and Compute Constraints Drive Exodus
Behind the departures lie deeper structural challenges facing new AI labs. Despite raising a record-breaking $2 billion seed round in July from Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, AMD, and others—valuing the company at $12 billion—Thinking Machines Lab struggles to match compensation packages offered by established players
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. A former OpenAI researcher told Fortune that departures "have more to do with money than otherwise," with some employees receiving "insane packages to return to OpenAI"4
.Compute constraints and unclear product direction compound the problem. While Thinking Machines launched the Tinker API for fine-tuning large language models, questions remain about its long-term business model
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. Established labs like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind can offer high-six and seven-figure cash compensation packages, while Meta has reportedly dangled packages worth hundreds of millions or even billions4
.Related Stories
Historical Context Adds Intrigue
The situation carries additional weight given the history between Murati and Sam Altman. The Wall Street Journal reported that Murati provided Slack screenshots used to expose Altman's alleged leadership issues during his brief 2023 ouster from OpenAI. She served as interim CEO before Altman's reinstatement
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Source: Digit
Some observers speculate whether Simo's aggressive recruiting represents an opportunity to hobble a potential competitor's fundraising efforts—Bloomberg reported Thinking Machines is in discussions to raise additional funding at a $50 billion valuation
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.The rapid exodus of co-founders from a startup less than a year old signals broader challenges for AI labs attempting to compete with incumbents. While Chinese startups like DeepSeek and Moonshot AI have built competitive models, they draw from different talent pools. For Silicon Valley's new wave of foundation model labs, the combination of compensation disparities, compute access, and the allure of near-term liquidity events at established companies creates a formidable retention challenge that seed funding alone cannot solve.
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