Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Faces Staff Exodus After Options Vest
NEW YORK — Mira Murati’s AI startup Thinking Machines Lab is grappling with a wave of staff departures after early employees vested their stock options, according to a report by Business Insider published Tuesday.
Murati departed OpenAI in late 2024 and subsequently launched Thinking Machines Lab, recruiting what was widely described as a “dream team” of AI researchers and engineers. The startup attracted attention given Murati’s central role in OpenAI’s rise, including overseeing the development and launch of ChatGPT.
Many of those early hires have left the company after reaching their vesting milestones, Business Insider reported. For some employees, the initial equity packages may have been a primary draw rather than long-term commitment to the company’s mission, according to the report.
The pattern is not unique to Thinking Machines Lab. AI companies across Silicon Valley have seen similar dynamics as the sector’s rapid growth has created abundant opportunities for experienced practitioners to move between well-funded ventures. Companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and xAI have engaged in aggressive recruiting, driving up compensation for top researchers and engineers.
Thinking Machines Lab has not publicly commented on the scope of the departures.
