Meta Hires CEO of Sutskever’s AI Startup
Meta Platforms has hired Daniel Gross, the former CEO of Safe Superintelligence (SSI), to head its AI products division. The move highlights the intensifying competition among tech giants to secure top-tier artificial intelligence talent. Gross’s departure leaves Ilya Sutskever, SSI’s founder, in full control of the startup he launched last year.
Sources revealed that Meta had also attempted to recruit Sutskever and acquire SSI. However, the startup remained independent. “You might have heard rumors of companies looking to acquire us. We are flattered by their attention but are focused on seeing our work through,” Sutskever stated in a post on X. Notably, SSI raised $1 billion in cash last year to develop AI systems intended to safely surpass human intelligence.
Sutskever previously served as OpenAI’s chief scientist and co-founded the organization. He left in the aftermath of the high-profile departure and return of Sam Altman in late 2023.
Meta’s Strategy and High-Stakes Investments
In response to recent challenges, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has launched Meta Superintelligence Labs. This new unit aims to consolidate the company’s AI initiatives, particularly after struggles with its Llama 4 model and multiple staff exits.
To lead the division, Meta appointed Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, and Nat Friedman, ex-GitHub chief. Their leadership follows Meta’s significant $14.3 billion investment in Scale. As a result, Meta has intensified recruitment efforts, targeting leading AI professionals.
Gross and Friedman are long-time collaborators. They co-founded the venture capital firm NFDG, which has invested in several influential startups, including SSI, Figma, and Perplexity. Their close professional ties may have influenced Gross’s transition to Meta.
Market Moves and Strategic Acquisitions
Meta’s interest in AI talent extends beyond individual hires. The company offered to buy a minority stake in NFDG’s funds through a tender offer, according to insiders. These moves reflect Meta’s broader strategy to maintain a strong position in the competitive AI space.
Meanwhile, Apple previously acquired Gross’s AI startup, Cue, in 2013. After the acquisition, Gross took on a director role at Apple, focusing on machine learning and AI initiatives.
Neither Meta nor NFDG provided immediate comments to Reuters regarding these developments.
