Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, is leaving the company to join Meta, as announced in a message to employees on Friday. A spokesperson for Thinking Machines Lab confirmed his departure.
The spokesperson stated that Tulloch “has decided to pursue a different path for personal reasons.” This move comes after a reported attempt by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to acquire Thinking Machines Lab in August, as per a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The acquisition effort ultimately failed, but Zuckerberg allegedly tried to recruit Tulloch with a compensation package potentially worth up to $1.5 billion over at least six years. A Meta spokesperson at the time refuted the claim, calling the Journal’s description of the offer “inaccurate and ridiculous.”
Tulloch has a background in AI research, having previously worked at OpenAI and Facebook’s AI Research Group. At Thinking Machines Lab, he worked alongside former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, who currently leads the startup.
