Meta is making bold moves to boost its AI leadership — and it’s aiming high.
According to a new report from CNBC, Meta recently tried to acquire Safe Superintelligence (SSI), a fast-rising AI startup co-founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever. The reported price tag? A massive $32 billion valuation.
The deal didn’t happen. But Meta isn’t giving up. Now, the company is trying to hire SSI’s co-founder and CEO Daniel Gross — and bring him into its growing AI research division.
Meta’s Push to Lead in Superintelligence
Meta is going all-in on AI superintelligence — a term that refers to AI systems that can outperform humans across a wide range of tasks.
In recent months, the company has been actively recruiting high-profile leaders and investing in next-gen AI infrastructure. This includes hiring top executives from other major AI companies, buying stakes in promising startups, and looking for partnerships that could help it compete with rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.
The company’s latest move? Trying to bring Daniel Gross on board.
Gross is a well-known name in the AI world. He previously led AI efforts at Apple, co-founded Safe Superintelligence with Sutskever, and runs a venture firm with former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman.
Meta Tried to Buy Safe Superintelligence
Meta’s first move was reportedly an acquisition attempt. According to CNBC, Meta tried to buy Safe Superintelligence outright — a six-month-old startup that’s already valued at $32 billion.
That’s a big number for such a young company. But the team behind SSI is equally impressive:
- Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI and one of the creators of GPT
- Daniel Gross, respected investor and technologist
- A stealthy team working on building safe, scalable AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)
While Sutskever turned down Meta’s offer, the social media giant isn’t walking away just yet.
Now Meta Is Trying to Hire Daniel Gross — and Others
After the failed acquisition, Meta has shifted focus to talent acquisition.
Reports from The Information say Meta is now in talks to hire:
- Daniel Gross, SSI co-founder and CEO
- Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub and Gross’s business partner
Gross and Friedman together run NFDG, a venture firm that has invested in major AI startups like Perplexity.ai and Character.AI.
Meta may also invest directly in NFDG
Alongside trying to hire Gross and Friedman, Meta is also reportedly taking a stake in NFDG, which gives it exposure to their growing portfolio of AI companies.
This would give Meta another edge — not just in internal development, but also in shaping the broader AI ecosystem through early-stage investments.
Why Gross and Friedman Matter for Meta
Daniel Gross isn’t just a founder — he’s a builder, thinker, and investor in AI. His work spans:
- Running AI research at Apple
- Co-founding Safe Superintelligence
- Investing early in companies pushing the boundaries of AI tech
Pairing him with Nat Friedman, who led GitHub and helped scale AI tools like Copilot, could give Meta the leadership muscle it needs for its AI superintelligence division.
This is especially crucial as Meta ramps up its in-house AI projects — like LLaMA, its open-source language model family.
Meta’s AI Hiring Spree: A Quick Recap
Gross and Friedman wouldn’t be Meta’s only recent AI hires. The company has been actively growing its team with top names, including:
- Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI, a company known for data labeling and infrastructure
- Several Scale AI executives, who bring deep operational and product experience
- Ongoing efforts to poach talent from rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind
This isn’t just about getting more engineers. Meta is focused on building a new leadership team to push its long-term vision of safe and powerful AI.
Why This Matters for the AI Industry
Meta’s aggressive talent hunt shows just how high the stakes are in the AI race.
With companies pouring billions into developing AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), having the right people — especially those with technical depth and a track record of success — can be more valuable than any single product or algorithm.
Meta clearly sees leadership talent like Gross and Friedman as foundational to their future AI roadmap.
And if Meta succeeds in hiring them, it could reshape the power dynamics in the AI world.
Key Takeaways
- Meta tried to buy Safe Superintelligence, the $32B AI startup co-founded by Ilya Sutskever.
- The deal didn’t go through — but Meta is now trying to hire Daniel Gross, SSI’s CEO.
- Meta is also in talks with Nat Friedman, Gross’s partner and former GitHub CEO.
- Both men run NFDG, a VC firm that has backed top AI startups like Perplexity and Character.AI.
- Meta is reportedly taking a stake in NFDG, adding more reach to its growing AI footprint.
- The company is also hiring Scale AI’s CEO and execs, continuing its massive AI talent push.
- This shows Meta’s deep commitment to AI superintelligence and safe AGI development.
Final Thought
Meta isn’t just building AI — it’s trying to shape the future of it.
By going after top AI minds like Daniel Gross and investing in their networks, Meta is placing a big bet that leadership and vision are just as important as compute and models.
The question now is: Will these leaders accept the offer — and what will they help Meta build next?