Meta's AI Chief Says He Turned Down a Job as a Google Director in 2002 Partly Because of Low Pay Yann LeCun won the Turing Prize for his research in 2018.

By Beatrice Nolan

Key Takeaways

  • Meta's AI chief says he turned down an early job offer for director of research at Google.
  • Yann LeCun said there were several reasons for the decision, including the compensation package.
  • He acknowledged, however, that "the stock option package would have ended up stratospheric."
Chesnot | Getty Images via Business Insider
Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, says he turned down a job offer for director of research at Google in 2002.

In a post on X, LeCun said there were several reasons behind the decision, including the size of the company and the compensation package.

LeCun said the salary was low, especially at a time when he needed money to support his teenage sons. Despite the low compensation, LeCun said "the stock option package would have ended up stratospheric."

He also said the company had 600 employees and no revenue at the time. This meant the role would have involved many things other than research, including corporate strategy and management, he said in the post.

LeCun, who won the Turing Prize for his research in 2018, said he wanted to refocus on research in several areas, including machine learning. The deep-learning pioneer also said his family didn't want to move to California at the time.

He added that if he'd taken the role at Google, he may have changed parts of the company culture.

In the post, LeCun said, "Had I joined, I think the research culture at Google would have been different. I might have made it a bit more open and a bit more ambitious a bit earlier."

Critics have previously accused Google of being slow and overly cautious with its AI development.

The success of the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT reportedly raised alarm bells at Google. The company has since released competing products for several of OpenAI's products, including its own AI-powered chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

Google representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Over 1,300 Google Employees Have Signed a New Petition Asking For Job Security

Google laid off thousands of employees in the past two years, which has left some employees feeling insecure about keeping their jobs.

Business News

Your Old Apple AirPods Can Soon Act as an Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid, According to the FDA

The new software is compatible with the Apple AirPods Pro and accessible through iOS — for free and now FDA-authorized.

Business News

Barbara Corcoran Says She Doesn't Look at Resumes: 'Always Hire Attitude Over Experience'

If you think you need a strong resume to work with real estate pioneer Barbara Corcoran, think again.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Starting a Business

He Quit Working in 'Toxic' Restaurants and Started a Business That's on Track to Surpass $150 Million in Revenue: 'Unstoppable Demand'

When Chris Kirby noticed a gap at his local farmer's market, he "sprang into action pretty quickly."

Leadership

The 4 Pillars of Leadership — How Process-Driven Leaders Enhance Performance

Let's explore how process-oriented leaders help drive businesses and teams forward — and how they can leverage their style for maximum impact.