When Mark Zuckerberg reached out with a $1 billion offer to acquire Thinking Machines Lab, the fledgling AI startup launched by Mira Murati, he likely believed it was a proposal impossible to turn down. But he was wrong.
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Murati, the Albanian-born tech visionary and former Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI, didn’t even blink. She turned the offer down, standing firmly behind the new path she had just embarked on—one that, it seems, is less about wealth and more about purpose.
After six intense and transformative years helping lead OpenAI, where she launched its first products and oversaw nearly every aspect of the company’s development, Murati left in September to build something new. And she isn’t ready to let it go. Not even for a billion dollars.
But Zuckerberg didn’t stop there.
In the weeks that followed, the Meta CEO reportedly approached over 50 of Murati’s employees, hoping to lure them away. His top target was Andrew Tulloch, a co-founder and leading researcher at Thinking Machines. Zuckerberg dangled a stunning offer—$1.5 billion over six years, bonuses included.
Still, Tulloch said no. So did everyone else.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone responded by calling the claims “inaccurate and laughable,” adding that Meta is not interested in acquiring Thinking Machines and that compensation depends on stock value. But behind the denial is a visible sense of urgency: Meta is fighting hard to catch up in a rapidly accelerating AI race.
The Mira Murati Factor: Why Everyone Wants Her
In a recent profile, The Wall Street Journal delved into the growing mystique around Mira Murati. At OpenAI, she was known not just for her technical brilliance but for her emotional intelligence and humility—traits that earned her the trust of both researchers and engineers. At Thinking Machines, she has replicated that culture, listing even the top scientists as part of the technical staff—a deliberate nod to equality and collaboration.
Since launching the startup in February, Murati has been followed by at least 20 former OpenAI colleagues. Among them is John Schulman, co-creator of ChatGPT and a key figure in Anthropic, another major AI player. Most of Murati’s team hails from OpenAI’s model training division—the group responsible for teaching AI to communicate naturally with humans.
Yet, the full scope of what Murati is building remains under wraps—even to her investors.
What is known: she has raised $2 billion in funding, with backing from tech titans like Nvidia, AMD, Jane Street—and notably, the Albanian government itself, which has invested $10 million through its Sovereign Investment Corporation.
The company’s mission? To build AI systems that are “more understandable, more customizable, and more capable overall.”
Recently, Murati teased that the company is developing a multimodal intelligence system designed to interact with the world in a natural, human-like way. The first product is expected to launch in just a few months.
The company now operates from a quiet corner of San Francisco’s Mission District—just blocks from OpenAI’s headquarters.
The War for AI Talent
Why is Mark Zuckerberg pushing so hard?
Just weeks ago, Meta named Shengjia Zhao, a co-creator of ChatGPT, as the chief scientist of its new Superintelligence Lab—an initiative aimed at developing cutting-edge AI, especially within the Llama model family.
But Meta is far behind. And Zuckerberg knows it. To catch up, he's resorting to the only path that might close the gap: acquiring elite AI talent.
So far, more than 100 OpenAI employees have been approached by Meta. Only 10 have accepted.
Why are so many saying no to nine-figure offers?
Because for them, this isn’t just a job. It’s a mission.
Companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and now Thinking Machines are built on a deeply shared set of values—altruistic purpose, ethical responsibility, and a long-term concern for the safety and impact of artificial intelligence. Many of the researchers even live together in communal homes, where conversations over dinner often revolve around philosophical questions and ethical dilemmas.
These are not people chasing paychecks or titles. They are chasing the future—and trying to ensure it’s one that works for humanity, not just for profit.
A Moment of Albanian Pride
For Albanians everywhere, Mira Murati is more than just a rising tech leader—she is a symbol of global excellence rooted in deep cultural humility and strength. In a world dominated by powerful corporations and endless capital, Murati stands tall—not because she bowed to a giant, but because she didn’t.
She refused a billion-dollar offer. She kept her team united. She stayed true to her vision.
And she did it all while proudly representing a heritage often overlooked on the global stage.
In this David vs. Goliath story of AI’s next frontier, Murati has reminded the world of something powerful: dignity and purpose are not for sale.
And for every Albanian watching from afar, her story is not just about technology or money—it’s about identity, pride, and the quiet force of integrity that can move the world.