Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, has stated that his company will not participate in the bidding war for top AI talent. He believes a level-based compensation system is more fair and beneficial to employees.
Amodei made this statement on an episode of the “Big Technology Podcast.” When top engineers at Anthropic started receiving job offers from tech giants such as Meta, Amodei posted a message saying his company wouldn’t compromise its principles.
“We want to have a systematic way,” he said. “If Mark Zuckerberg throws a dart at a dartboard and hits your name, that doesn’t mean you should be paid 10 times more than the guy next to you who’s just as skilled.”
Amodei believes massive salary changes could “destroy” a company’s culture by treating people “unfairly.” Many of his employees have rejected outside offers, with some even refusing to talk to Mark Zuckerberg.
This stance has come as Big Tech companies are aggressively recruiting elite AI talent, likening it to sports franchises competing for superstar athletes. Meta and Anthropic did not respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/dario-amodei-anthropic-ai-talent-war-meta-destroy-company-culture-2025-7