News Technology 'Compensation never crossed my mind': OpenAI employees turn down Salesforce CEO's job offer

'Compensation never crossed my mind': OpenAI employees turn down Salesforce CEO's job offer

Salesforce’s CEO Marc had offered jobs to any OpenAI researcher who has tendered resignation and their immigration is impacted. Over 500 OpenAI staffers threaten to quit after Microsoft hired former CEO Sam Altman and ex-president Greg Brockman.

OpenAI, Sam Altman Image Source : FILEOpenAI employees turn down salesforce CEO's job offer

Several OpenAI researchers have rejected software major Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's job offer, saying that they would continue to work with Sam Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman till the end. "@Benioff This is a super generous offer! I'm sure my team really appreciates it. But we're with @sama @miramurati and @gdb to the end," wrote OpenAI's Tony Wu, praising Benioff's offer. 

Steven Heidel, another OpenAI employee, received a direct offer from Benioff, which he turned down with a humorous response. "Listen, I love Slack but the company that builds tableau isn't going to build AGI," Heidel wrote.

Boris Power, Head of Applied Research at OpenAI, stated that people were not leaving because of compensation. "Lol, like it was ever about compensation. We got >95 per cent in less than 24 hours, and the compensation never crossed my mind!," Power said.

What Marc Benioff Had Offered? 

For the unversed, Benioff had offered jobs to any OpenAI researcher who has tendered resignation and their immigration is impacted, as more than 500 OpenAI staffers threaten to quit after Microsoft hired former CEO Sam Altman and ex-president Greg Brockman.

Taking to X (Previously Twitter), Benioff said if your immigration is now impacted by Open AI on O1, H1B, or other visa, then Salesforce will match “full cash and equity OTE (open trade equity)” of those who quit OpenAI “to immediately join our Salesforce Einstein Trusted AI research team under Silvio Savarese”.

“Send me your CV directly to ceo@salesforce.com. Einstein is the most successful enterprise AI Platform completing 1 trillion predictive & generative transactions this week! Join our Trusted AI Enterprise Revolution,” the Salesforce CEO wrote.

Will Sam Altman Return to OpenAI?

Speaking to CNBC, Microsoft's chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said that it’s still possible that Altman could return to OpenAI in some capacity.  “That’s for, you know, the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose … (Microsoft) chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI (and) that depends on the people at OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, so I’m open to both options", Nadella said in an interview to CNBC.