Thinking Machines Lab (TML), the secretive startup founded by Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, is offering annual base salaries ranging from $450K to $500K to attract top AI talent. H‑1B visa filings confirm four technical hires—two earning $450K, one at $500K, and another co-founder-level role at $450K—well ahead of any public products from the company
💰 How It Compares
- TML: Average ~$462.5K per base salary
- OpenAI: Average ~$292 K (range $200K–530K)
- Anthropic: Around ~$387.5K (range $300K–690K)
These base pay figures don’t include rich sign-on bonuses or equity stakes—often where real compensation lies
🧩 Why This Matters
- AI Talent War: Silicon Valley firms are locked in fierce competition for elite researchers. TML’s aggressive compensation surpasses even established players’ offers
- Star Power Recruited: TML early hires include former OpenAI luminaries like Bob McGrew, Alec Radford, John Schulman, Jonathan Lachman, and Barret Zoph
- Market Significance: TML was valued at ~$10 billion after raising a $2 billion seed round—signaling its serious bid to challenge OpenAI and others
🤔 The Bigger Picture
- Rewriting compensation norms: TML’s base salaries redefine expectations—OpenAI and Anthropic now look modest by comparison. Meanwhile, Meta has floated staggering packages (e.g., $300M+ over several years for key roles) .
- Top-tier talent remaining scarce: With perhaps only ~2,000 elite researchers globally, demand dramatically outstrips supply .
- Start-up shake-up: Even without products, TML lures talent by promising a culture of customization, collaboration, and cutting-edge research newsbytesapp.com.
🔮 What’s Next?
- Market pressure: Other AI players may raise pay to stay competitive.
- Funding & hires: Whether TML continues aggressive hiring and uses its seed capital strategically.
- Product development: Will the star-studded team deliver breakthroughs that justify these costs?
✅ Bottom Line
By offering up to $500K base salaries, Thinking Machines Lab has disrupted AI hiring norms and cemented its position in the high-stakes race for elite talent. With a deep-pocketed strategy and a star-powered team, the startup is making bold moves even before launching a single product—signaling seismic shifts in how AI companies compete.
