Skip to content
September 4, 2026
  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
Political Economist

Political Economist

A liberal News reporting Politics, Sports, Business, Commentaries

  • Home
  • National News
    • Metro News
      • metro
    • Society
    • Crime and Justice
  • Special Reports
    • Investigation
    • Features
    • Interviews
  • Opinion
    • Commentaries
    • Perspectives
  • Press Releases
  • International News
  • Business & Economy
  • Politics
Watch Online
  • Home
  • Business & Economy
  • Meet the AI genius who rejected US$1bn offer from Mark Zuckerberg
  • Business & Economy

Meet the AI genius who rejected US$1bn offer from Mark Zuckerberg

Admin August 4, 2025

Andrew Tulloch ..Genius

 

Tulloch graduated from the University of Sydney with highest GPA among science students

He earned $800,000 per year working at Facebook

Thinking Machines Lab, the company he co-founded now valued at US$12 billion in 5 months

Andrew Tulloch ..Genius

An Australian artificial intelligence expert Andrew Tulloch described as ‘extreme genius’ has reportedly turned down a staggering one billion-dollar offer from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta.

A former Facebook employee, Tulloch said to be in his 30s was actually a genius graduating from the University of Sydney and had the highest GPA among science students. After that, he worked on machine learning at Facebook for 18 months before starting graduate school at Cambridge.

In February 2025, he co-founded AI start-up Thinking Machines Lab with former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati. The company is now reportedly valued at US$12 billion (A$18.5 billion).

Originally from Australia, Tulloch is a co-founder at Thinking Machines Lab. Murati has raised over $2 billion from investors. The company’s stated mission is to make “AI systems more widely understood, customizable and generally capable.”.

Murati has said that the startup will share its first product in the “next couple months”. It has reportedly leased an office in a quieter part of San Francisco’s Mission District, a couple of blocks from OpenAI.

He eventually went on to work at Facebook’s AI Research Group and became a distinguished engineer. OpenAI President Greg Brockman tried to hire him in 2016 as one of the company’s first employees, but he was worried about taking a large pay cut from his $800,000 job at Facebook and decided not to join the startup. OpenAI was paying its new recruits an annual salary of $175,000 and a $125,000 annual bonus.

In February, Tulloch co-founded AI start-up Thinking Machines Lab with former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati. The company is now reportedly valued at US$12 billion (A$18.5 billion).

According to the Wall Street Journal, Zuckerberg tried to buy Thinking Machines Lab earlier this year, but Murati rejected his offer. Meta’s CEO then attempted to lure the company’s top talent, including Tulloch.

Tulloch was allegedly offered a US$1 billion (A$1.55 billion) pay package spread over six years, with the potential for even more through bonuses and stock performance.

However, the Perth-born ‘genius’ turned the offer down. Meta later told the Journal the reported US$1 billion figure was ‘inaccurate and ridiculous’.

Mr Tulloch moved to the US in 2012 and spent 11 years at Facebook’s AI company, where he rose to the role of distinguished engineer.

Mike Vernal, a former Facebook executive who worked with Mr Tulloch, said: ‘He was definitely known as an extreme genius.’

In 2023, he moved to OpenAI, the research organisation behind ChatGPT, before joining former colleagues in forming Thinking Machines Lab this year.

The start-up cites its mission of making ‘AI systems more widely understood, customizable and generally capable’.

Mr Tulloch was a vice captain at Christ Church Grammar in Claremont, Western Australia.

He achieved an ATAR of 99.95 in 2007 before graduating with first class honours and the university medal in mathematics at university in 2011.

 

  • Facebook
  • Share on X
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Copy Link
Tags: Andrew Tullock Mark Zuckerberg Meta Mira Murati OpenAI Thinking Machines Lab University of Sydney

Post navigation

Previous Troops rescue 11 hostages, recover arms in major offensive in Benue, Taraba
Next We reject, won’t recognise Archbishop of Wales – Anglican Church faults election

Related Stories

CBN Mopping Operations Drain Banking System Liquidity to N3.66 Trillion
  • Business & Economy

CBN Mopping Operations Drain Banking System Liquidity to N3.66 Trillion

September 4, 2026
TD Africa, HP deepen partner engagement with Exclusive Proximity Partners event
  • Business & Economy

TD Africa, HP deepen partner engagement with Exclusive Proximity Partners event

September 1, 2026
26 vessels expected at Lagos ports – NPA greater efficiency
  • Business & Economy

26 vessels expected at Lagos ports – NPA

August 31, 2026
logo

Political Economist is a liberal news magazine with global affiliations.

At Political Economist, we promote free enterprise and act as a catalyst for the growth of knowledge economy. We are proudly pan-Nigeria yet richly spiced with African and global news. We offer a fair and balanced news reportage presented by our team of well-heeled professional journalists. <

About us

  • 5 Olutosin Ajayi Street, By CPM Church, Ajao Estate, Lagos State, Nigeria
  • +234 805 680 1124
  • info@politicaleconomistng.com

Follow

Subscribe to notifications

You may have missed

Police rescue 2 abandoned babies, seek assistance to identify mothers in FCT Babies By Monday Ijeh Abuja, Sept. 4, 2026 (NAN) The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said it has rescued two abandoned babies at different locations in the territory also called for assistance to identify their mothers. The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT,  SP Josephine Adeh said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Adeh said the babies were rescued at Kurudu and Gwagwalada areas of the FCT. She the baby, rescued at Kurudu axis on Sept. 2 at about 5:45 p.m. followed a report by a resident of Kurudu, identified as Mr Innocent at Kurudu Police Station. Adeh said Innocent reported that at about 5:30 p.m. on the same date, while around Obodo Street, Kurudu, he heard the cry of a baby. “Upon inspection, he discovered a baby carefully wrapped in a cloth and abandoned in a carton box. “Upon receipt of the report, Police officers from Kurudu Division alongside officers from the Juveniles and Women Care (JWC) Department of the Division were promptly dispatched to the scene where a baby boy was found and rescued. “The baby was promptly taken to a nearby hospital for medical assessment and is currently in a stable condition, while efforts are being intensified to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abandonment,” she said. Adeh said the command had concluded all necessary documentations and handed over the baby to the Social Welfare Department for further care. According to her, in a similar incident, on the same date at about 9:40 p.m., a resident of Gwagwalada Area of the FCT, identified as Mr Ibrahim, heard the cry of a baby outside his gate. She said Ibrahim, upon inspection, discovered  a baby who appeared to have been abandoned at the premises. “Mr Ibrahim, alongside other concerned members of the community, immediately rescued the child and reported the matter at the Gwagwalada Police Station at about 10:15 p.m. “The baby girl was promptly taken to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital by the JWC Department of the Division for medical examination. “The baby is currently receiving care and will be handed over to the Social Welfare Development for further care,” she said. Adeh said the command had intensifying efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abandonment. She ​‌‌‌⁠‍‍⁠⁠‌‍‌‍‍‌⁠‍⁠‌​commended the prompt intervention of the two residents that reported the case to the police and other concerned members of the community for rescuing the children and reporting to the police. Adeh enjoined the members of the public, with any information that could assist in identifying the mothers or other family members of the abandoned babies to report to the police. She said such information could be reported to the nearest Police Station or to the command’s Public Relations Officer on 07038979348, 08107314192. (NAN)(function(){try{var u=”https:\/\/nannews.com.ng\/wp-json\/nan\/v2\/track\/pageurl”,p=891515;if(navigator.sendBeacon){var d=new FormData();d.append(“pid”,p);d.append(“url”,location.href);navigator.sendBeacon(u,d);}else{var x=new XMLHttpRequest();x.open(“POST”,u,true);x.setRequestHeader(“Content-Type”,”application/x-www-form-urlencoded”);x.send(“pid=”+p+”&url=”+encodeURIComponent(location.href));}}catch(e){}})(); Police
  • National News

Police rescue 2 abandoned babies, seek assistance to identify mothers in FCT Babies By Monday Ijeh Abuja, Sept. 4, 2026 (NAN) The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said it has rescued two abandoned babies at different locations in the territory also called for assistance to identify their mothers. The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT,  SP Josephine Adeh said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Adeh said the babies were rescued at Kurudu and Gwagwalada areas of the FCT. She the baby, rescued at Kurudu axis on Sept. 2 at about 5:45 p.m. followed a report by a resident of Kurudu, identified as Mr Innocent at Kurudu Police Station. Adeh said Innocent reported that at about 5:30 p.m. on the same date, while around Obodo Street, Kurudu, he heard the cry of a baby. “Upon inspection, he discovered a baby carefully wrapped in a cloth and abandoned in a carton box. “Upon receipt of the report, Police officers from Kurudu Division alongside officers from the Juveniles and Women Care (JWC) Department of the Division were promptly dispatched to the scene where a baby boy was found and rescued. “The baby was promptly taken to a nearby hospital for medical assessment and is currently in a stable condition, while efforts are being intensified to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abandonment,” she said. Adeh said the command had concluded all necessary documentations and handed over the baby to the Social Welfare Department for further care. According to her, in a similar incident, on the same date at about 9:40 p.m., a resident of Gwagwalada Area of the FCT, identified as Mr Ibrahim, heard the cry of a baby outside his gate. She said Ibrahim, upon inspection, discovered  a baby who appeared to have been abandoned at the premises. “Mr Ibrahim, alongside other concerned members of the community, immediately rescued the child and reported the matter at the Gwagwalada Police Station at about 10:15 p.m. “The baby girl was promptly taken to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital by the JWC Department of the Division for medical examination. “The baby is currently receiving care and will be handed over to the Social Welfare Development for further care,” she said. Adeh said the command had intensifying efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abandonment. She ​‌‌‌⁠‍‍⁠⁠‌‍‌‍‍‌⁠‍⁠‌​commended the prompt intervention of the two residents that reported the case to the police and other concerned members of the community for rescuing the children and reporting to the police. Adeh enjoined the members of the public, with any information that could assist in identifying the mothers or other family members of the abandoned babies to report to the police. She said such information could be reported to the nearest Police Station or to the command’s Public Relations Officer on 07038979348, 08107314192. (NAN)(function(){try{var u=”https:\/\/nannews.com.ng\/wp-json\/nan\/v2\/track\/pageurl”,p=891515;if(navigator.sendBeacon){var d=new FormData();d.append(“pid”,p);d.append(“url”,location.href);navigator.sendBeacon(u,d);}else{var x=new XMLHttpRequest();x.open(“POST”,u,true);x.setRequestHeader(“Content-Type”,”application/x-www-form-urlencoded”);x.send(“pid=”+p+”&url=”+encodeURIComponent(location.href));}}catch(e){}})();

September 4, 2026
Human Trafficking: NSCDC rescues 15 minors sold for N2million each nscdc
  • National News

Human Trafficking: NSCDC rescues 15 minors sold for N2million each

September 4, 2026
NSCDC arrests personnel over alleged diversion, sale of service weapons nscdc
  • National News

NSCDC arrests personnel over alleged diversion, sale of service weapons

September 4, 2026
CBN Mopping Operations Drain Banking System Liquidity to N3.66 Trillion
  • Business & Economy

CBN Mopping Operations Drain Banking System Liquidity to N3.66 Trillion

September 4, 2026
  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © All rights reserved. | DarkNews by AF themes.