Mark Zuckerberg Invests Billions in 'Startup Mode' as Meta's Superintelligence Division Attracts Alexandr Wang and Nat Friedman from Leading AI Companies
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Sep 02 2025
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Meta's AI Division Reorganization
- New Structure: Meta is restructuring its artificial intelligence division into compact, high-impact teams, led by Alexandr Wang from Scale AI, to enhance its "superintelligence labs" initiative.
- Investment in Talent: The company has invested $14 billion in acquiring a stake in Scale AI, reflecting its commitment to advancing AI capabilities.
Small Team Philosophy
- Internal Memo Insights: An internal memo from Wang indicates that the AI division will be divided into four specialized groups to foster innovation and competitiveness in superintelligence.
- Industry Trends: This shift aligns with a broader trend in Silicon Valley towards lean operations, where smaller teams are believed to drive faster and more effective innovation.
Recruitment Strategy
- High Compensation Packages: Meta is aggressively recruiting top talent from competitors like OpenAI and Google DeepMind, offering nine-figure compensation packages to attract elite engineers.
- Impact of Small Teams: Experts suggest that a few highly skilled individuals can lead to significant breakthroughs, although this strategy has caused some discontent among existing employees.
Challenges of Scaling Innovation
- Concerns About Effectiveness: While small teams have historically driven innovation, experts question whether this model can effectively scale within a large organization like Meta.
- Previous Reorganizations: Meta has already undergone multiple reorganizations of its AI units in a short period, indicating ongoing challenges in achieving a cohesive structure.
CEO's Vision
- Zuckerberg's Optimism: Despite the turbulence and restructuring, CEO Mark Zuckerberg remains confident that small, focused teams are essential for leading research in superintelligence, emphasizing the need for a compact group to manage complex ideas effectively.
META
$658.69+Infinity%1D
Analyst Views on META
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for META is 832.06 USD with a low forecast of 655.15 USD and a high forecast of 1117 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
43 Analyst Rating
36 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 663.290
Low
655.15
Averages
832.06
High
1117
Current: 663.290
Low
655.15
Averages
832.06
High
1117
About META
Meta Platforms, Inc. is building human connections, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. The Company's products enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), and wearables. It also helps people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enabling people to share their experiences, ideas, photos, videos, and other content with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large. The Company's segments include Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). FoA segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads. RL segment includes its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software and content. Its product offerings in VR include its Meta Quest devices, as well as software and content available through the Meta Horizon Store.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
