AI Prodigy Matt Deitke Joins Meta After Zuckerberg Doubles Offer to 250M
24-year-old AI genius Matt Deitke rejected Meta's 125M offer, prompting Mark Zuckerberg to personally intervene and double the package to 250M.
In a stunning move that underscores the fierce competition for top AI talent, 24-year-old Matt Deitke rejected Meta's initial $125 million offer—only for CEO Mark Zuckerberg to personally step in and double the package to $250 million. Deitke, now one of the highest-paid AI researchers in history, has officially joined Meta's Superintelligence Lab.
From PhD Dropout to AI Pioneer
Deitke began his career in a PhD program at the University of Washington but left to pursue hands-on AI research at the Allen Institute for AI (AI2). There, he led the development of Molmo, a multimodal chatbot capable of processing text, images, and audio. His groundbreaking work earned him an Outstanding Paper Award at NeurIPS 2022, cementing his reputation as a rising star.
Zuckerberg’s Unprecedented Recruitment Push
When Deitke initially declined Meta’s $125M four-year offer in 2024, Zuckerberg took matters into his own hands. After a personal meeting, Meta doubled the compensation, including $100M upfront in the first year. This historic deal highlights the extreme measures Big Tech is taking to secure elite AI expertise.
Vercept: Deitke’s Vision for Autonomous AI
Before joining Meta, Deitke co-founded Vercept, a startup focused on autonomous AI agents that perform tasks without human prompts. Backed by $16.5M in funding—including investment from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt—Vercept aimed to create AI that acts, not just responds.
Why Meta Wanted Deitke
- Molmo’s Multimodal Breakthrough: Deitke’s work pushed beyond text-based AI, enabling real-time sensory reasoning.
- Thought Leadership: His NeurIPS award positioned him as a visionary in human-machine interaction.
- Entrepreneurial Edge: Vercept demonstrated his ability to bridge research and real-world applications.
As the AI arms race intensifies, Deitke’s recruitment signals Meta’s commitment to leading the next wave of artificial intelligence. For more on Mark Zuckerberg’s AI strategy, visit this link.
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About the Author
Dr. Lisa Kim
AI Ethics Researcher
Leading expert in AI ethics and responsible AI development with 13 years of research experience. Former member of Microsoft AI Ethics Committee, now provides consulting for multiple international AI governance organizations. Regularly contributes AI ethics articles to top-tier journals like Nature and Science.