Imagine turning down a staggering $1 billion offer—sounds insane, right? But that’s exactly what Australian artificial intelligence expert Andrew Tulloch did when Mark Zuckerberg came knocking on his door. This audacious move has left many questioning why anyone would walk away from such a jaw-dropping deal.

Andrew Tulloch, a University of Sydney graduate, has made waves in the tech industry, especially after co-founding the AI start-up Thinking Machines Lab alongside former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Their brainchild is now valued at a whopping $12 billion (A$18.5 billion), making it an enticing target for tech giants like Meta.

Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Zuckerberg attempted to buy Tulloch’s start-up, but Murati flatout rejected the offer. Not one to give up easily, Zuckerberg even tried to lure Tulloch himself, offering a staggering total pay package of $1 billion (A$1.55 billion) spread out over six years, with potential bonuses and stock options on top. That’s enough dough to make anyone’s head spin!

Yet, despite this life-changing offer, Tulloch, who grew up in Perth, turned it down. Meta later dismissed the reported billion-dollar figure as 'inaccurate and ridiculous,' which adds an extra layer of intrigue to this unfolding saga.

Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate Tulloch's impressive credentials. He made his move to the U.S. in 2012 and spent over a decade at Facebook, climbing the ranks to become a distinguished engineer. Colleagues, like former Facebook executive Mike Vernal, have dubbed him an extreme genius. His educational background is just as impressive: Tulloch achieved an incredible ATAR of 99.95 in 2007, graduated with first-class honors and the university medal in mathematics in 2011, and even worked at Goldman Sachs as a quant while studying at the University of Cambridge.

In 2023, after stepping away from Facebook, he joined OpenAI—the groundbreaking organization known for ChatGPT—before co-founding Thinking Machines Lab. With a mission to make AI systems more accessible and customizable, Tulloch and his team are on a path to revolutionize how we interact with technology.

It’s also worth noting that Zuckerberg has a track record of attempting to attract rival companies' talent, as seen when he reportedly offered $100 million bonuses to OpenAI staff in order to convince them to jump ship—though none took the bait. Tulloch's decision to turn down a life-altering deal might just be a bold stand against the status quo in tech.