Meta AI researcher Andrew Tulloch departs in less than a year after returning, after previously turning down a package worth up to $1.5 billion

Meta AI researcher Andrew Tulloch is leaving the company less than a year after returning from Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab, according to the information cited in the source report. Tulloch had been working inside TBD Lab, the group led by Alexandr Wang and described in the report as a core team in Mark Zuckerberg’s current AI strategy. Semafor said Tulloch had been preparing to leave for some time and waited until Meta rolled out a new batch of open-source AI models and its personal agent product, Muse, before making his exit. The report also said Meta offered him a compensation package in 2025 worth as much as $1.5 billion over at least six years, but he declined at the time. That figure included a maximum bonus component and potential gains tied to a sharp rise in Meta’s share price. Months later, Tulloch still joined Meta. Axios said his eventual pay package was lower than that earlier offer, though the exact amount was not disclosed. Tulloch had previously spent 11 years at Meta, moved to OpenAI in 2023, and later helped launch Thinking Machines Lab. His next destination and the reason for his departure have not been made public.