OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appears to have taken a subtle shot at Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg in a recent internal Slack message to employees. While discussing OpenAI’s corporate values and criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Altman wrote that the company aims to “not get blown around by changing fashions,” specifically noting that OpenAI didn’t “start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular.”
The comment appears to reference Zuckerberg’s January 2024 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, where the Meta CEO championed a return to masculinity in corporate culture. “The masculine energy, I think, is good,” Zuckerberg told Rogan, arguing that “corporate culture was trying to get away from it.” The Facebook co-founder described the merits of a corporate culture that “celebrates the aggression” of business, suggesting that while efforts to be more inclusive were well-intentioned, the pendulum had swung too far. “It’s one thing to say we want to be welcoming and make a good environment for everyone,” Zuckerberg explained. “It’s another to basically say that masculinity is bad.”
Altman’s memo also stated that OpenAI didn’t “become super woke when that was popular,” positioning the AI company as maintaining consistent values regardless of cultural trends. Meta declined to comment on Altman’s remarks when contacted by Business Insider.
This latest exchange adds another dimension to the ongoing rivalry between the two AI industry titans. Altman and Zuckerberg are currently locked in an intense talent war for top AI researchers and engineers. Meta has been aggressively recruiting OpenAI employees with extraordinary compensation packages, which Altman revealed in June included $100 million signing bonuses. While Altman initially claimed that “none of our best people have decided to take them up on that,” Zuckerberg has successfully poached several prominent OpenAI talents.
Notably, the Meta CEO has personally invested in recruitment efforts, even hand-delivering soup to an OpenAI employee he was attempting to hire. His efforts have yielded results, including securing ChatGPT co-creator Shengjia Zhao and three researchers who helped establish OpenAI’s Zurich office. The competition between these AI powerhouses extends beyond philosophical differences about corporate culture to the fundamental battle for the human capital driving artificial intelligence innovation forward.
Key Quotes
We didn’t start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular.
Sam Altman wrote this in an internal Slack message to OpenAI employees, appearing to reference Mark Zuckerberg’s comments about masculinity in corporate culture on Joe Rogan’s podcast. The statement positions OpenAI as maintaining consistent values regardless of cultural trends.
The masculine energy, I think, is good. Society has plenty of that, but I think corporate culture was trying to get away from it.
Mark Zuckerberg made this statement during his January 2024 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, advocating for a return to masculinity in corporate environments and arguing that companies had overcorrected in their efforts to be more inclusive.
It’s one thing to say we want to be welcoming and make a good environment for everyone. It’s another to basically say that masculinity is bad.
Zuckerberg elaborated on his position to Joe Rogan, acknowledging the good intentions behind making workplaces more inclusive while arguing that corporate culture had gone too far in rejecting masculine traits.
At least so far, none of our best people have decided to take them up on that.
Altman said this in June regarding Meta’s aggressive recruitment efforts offering $100 million signing bonuses to OpenAI employees. However, Meta subsequently succeeded in hiring away several prominent OpenAI talents, including ChatGPT co-creator Shengjia Zhao.
Our Take
This public sparring between Altman and Zuckerberg reveals how personal dynamics are shaping AI industry competition. While framed as philosophical differences about corporate culture, the underlying battle is fundamentally about talent acquisition in an AI arms race where human capital is the most valuable resource. The $100 million signing bonuses represent an unprecedented escalation in tech recruiting wars, suggesting both companies view certain individuals as potentially worth billions in competitive advantage. Altman’s subtle jab also demonstrates a strategic communications approach—using internal messages that inevitably leak to shape public perception. As these companies compete to build artificial general intelligence, their ability to attract and retain top researchers may prove as important as their technical approaches. The cultural positioning—OpenAI as steady and principle-driven versus Meta’s embrace of “aggressive” business culture—will influence which talent gravitates where, ultimately shaping the future of AI development.
Why This Matters
This public friction between two of AI’s most influential leaders reveals the intensifying competition shaping the artificial intelligence industry’s future. The rivalry between OpenAI and Meta extends beyond technical capabilities to encompass corporate culture, talent acquisition, and leadership philosophy. With AI development increasingly dependent on attracting and retaining top researchers and engineers, the $100 million signing bonuses mentioned highlight the extraordinary value placed on AI talent and the financial stakes involved.
The cultural dimension of this rivalry also matters significantly. As AI companies compete to define the industry’s future, their corporate cultures and values will influence not just who works there, but how AI systems are developed and deployed. Altman’s emphasis on not being “blown around by changing fashions” suggests OpenAI is positioning itself as a steady, principle-driven alternative to Meta’s approach. This battle for talent and cultural positioning will likely determine which companies lead AI innovation in the coming years, affecting everything from product development to AI safety practices and the technology’s broader societal impact.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-dig-mark-zuckerberg-masculine-energy-2026-1