According to sources close to the matter, internal Microsoft documents reveal a targeted list of high-priority Meta employees, complete with names, roles, and locations. The focus is on key divisions such as Reality Labs, GenAI Infrastructure, and Meta AI Research. The hiring campaign is backed by a fast-track recruitment process, enabling recruiters to flag “critical AI talent” and secure senior executive approval for top offers within 24 hours.

The AI talent war is intensifying. Meta has offered AI researchers up to $250 million, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claims Meta has dangled $100 million signing bonuses to his engineers. Microsoft aims to match and exceed such offers, going beyond its usual salary ranges. Top-tier packages may include base salaries exceeding $400,000, on-hire stock awards worth nearly $2 million, annual stock grants around $1.5 million, and cash bonuses up to 90%.

Leading the Microsoft AI recruitment drive are Mustafa Suleyman (former Google DeepMind co-founder) and Jay Parikh (former Meta engineering chief), who are leveraging specialist recruiters and compensation experts to secure high-value hires.

The move comes after Microsoft’s global restructuring, which saw about 9,000 layoffs as the company redirected resources toward AI innovation. Despite cuts, Microsoft plans to keep headcount stable, focusing on strategic talent acquisition.

With Microsoft’s market valuation nearing $4 trillion, the battle for generative AI talent is set to escalate, as Big Tech firms compete to secure the researchers and engineers shaping the future of AI, machine learning, and next-gen computing.