Thread · 3 stories · Jun 16 – Nov 6 · concluded
Meta bought half of Scale AI for $14.3B, installed Alexandr Wang atop its AI effort, poached rival researchers — and lost Yann LeCun.
Jump to timeline ↓Meta's answer to falling behind was capital and hiring: $14.3 billion for 49% of Scale AI, with founder Alexandr Wang installed as head of AI despite doubts about his operational record.
A recruiting run followed, pulling in Thinking Machines co-founder Andrew Tulloch and Optimus's AI lead. By November the reorganisation had cost Meta its chief AI scientist, with Yann LeCun leaving after more than a decade.
