Andrew Tulloch: The AI Visionary Who Rejected a Billion-Dollar Offer
In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, few names shine as brightly as Andrew Tulloch. A brilliant engineer, strategist, and innovator, Tulloch has carved a career path that moves from finance into the very heart of machine learning research. His contributions at Meta, his work on GPT models at OpenAI, and his current role at the ambitious Thinking Machines Lab have cemented his reputation as one of the most influential minds of his generation. Perhaps most strikingly, the news that Andrew Tulloch rejected a $1.5 billion offer from Mark Zuckerberg illustrates his dedication to vision and purpose over sheer wealth.
This article explores Tulloch’s career trajectory, his educational excellence, his work at some of the most influential institutions in technology and finance, and the philosophy that drives him.
Early Life and Education
Foundations of Academic Excellence
Born in Australia in the early 1990s, Andrew Tulloch displayed extraordinary intellectual promise from a young age. At Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont, he achieved a TER of 99.95, the highest possible ranking, while serving as School Vice-Captain. He was also captain of debating and mock trials, demonstrating a rare combination of analytical ability and leadership. His participation in 1st XI cricket and hockey reflected a well-rounded approach to both academics and extracurricular pursuits.
University of Sydney
Tulloch pursued his Bachelor of Science in Advanced Mathematics at the University of Sydney between 2007 and 2011. His performance was nothing short of exceptional: he graduated with First Class Honours and received the University Medal, awarded to the top student in the Faculty of Science. In addition, he won the Science Achievement Prize for maintaining the highest GPA in the faculty. His focus on mathematics and statistics provided a rock-solid foundation for the computational challenges he would later face in finance and artificial intelligence.
Cambridge University
Following his undergraduate success, Tulloch undertook the famed Part III of the Mathematical Tripos at Trinity College, Cambridge in 2013–2014. This is regarded as one of the most rigorous programmes in advanced mathematics in the world. Tulloch specialised in mathematical statistics and machine learning, graduating with a distinction, the top grade available. He also received a prize from Trinity College for his outstanding academic performance. This achievement firmly established him as one of the most promising mathematical minds of his generation.
Professional Journey
Goldman Sachs: A Foray into Finance
Before plunging fully into the world of technology, Andrew Tulloch began his career as a Strategist at Goldman Sachs in Sydney (2010–2012). In this role, he developed and structured financial products across foreign exchange, commodities, and credit markets. He also applied statistical and econometric techniques to identify opportunities for arbitrage, designing strategies in equity derivatives and credit instruments.
This early exposure to high-stakes finance honed his ability to apply mathematics to real-world, complex problems. Yet, his true calling lay in machine learning, and soon his trajectory shifted towards Silicon Valley.
Meta: Building Machine Learning Systems
In April 2012, Tulloch joined Meta (then Facebook) as a software engineer, eventually rising to the distinguished position of Distinguished Engineer. Over more than eleven years, he played a pivotal role in designing and scaling machine learning systems at the heart of the company’s platforms.
His most prominent work was tied to PyTorch, the open-source deep learning framework that has become an industry standard. PyTorch empowered researchers and engineers worldwide to develop cutting-edge AI systems with efficiency and flexibility. Tulloch’s contribution to such an influential project amplified his impact far beyond Meta’s internal walls.
By September 2023, Tulloch had become synonymous with high-performance AI infrastructure, but his journey was far from over.
OpenAI: Advancing the Frontiers of GPT
From October 2023 to November 2024, Tulloch worked at OpenAI as a Member of Technical Staff. His focus was on machine learning systems and large-scale model pretraining, including GPT-4o and GPT-4.5, alongside contributions to the o-series reasoning models. These models pushed the boundaries of natural language understanding, reasoning ability, and computational efficiency.
At OpenAI, Tulloch combined his systems expertise from Meta with frontier AI research, strengthening his reputation as both a builder and a visionary researcher.
Thinking Machines Lab: The Next Chapter
In January 2025, Tulloch co-founded and joined Thinking Machines Lab in San Francisco as a Member of Technical Staff. The lab, started with Mira Murati, quickly rose to prominence, drawing investor attention even before launching a product. By mid-2025, Thinking Machines Lab had already achieved a reported valuation of $12 billion, a remarkable feat that speaks to the credibility and vision of its founders.
Tulloch’s role involves designing the infrastructure and training methods for next-generation reasoning systems, placing him at the core of efforts to build AI that is not just powerful, but capable of solving more complex, human-like tasks.
The Billion-Dollar Rejection
The Offer
In a story that captured global headlines, it emerged that Mark Zuckerberg attempted to recruit Andrew Tulloch to Meta with a staggering compensation package. Reports suggested the total could have reached $1.5 billion over six years, including stock, bonuses, and base pay. This extraordinary figure highlights the intensity of the battle for top AI talent in Silicon Valley.
Tulloch’s Response
What astonished the world even more than the size of the offer was Tulloch’s response: he turned it down. While Meta disputed the exact value of the package, the message was clear. Tulloch prioritised his mission with Thinking Machines Lab over personal enrichment.
Implications
This rejection illustrates two important truths:
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AI researchers now wield influence once reserved for star athletes or entertainers, commanding packages in the billions.
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Purpose and vision can outweigh financial incentives, particularly for individuals like Tulloch, who are motivated by the potential to build transformative technology rather than accumulate wealth.
Andrew Tulloch’s Age and Perspective
As of 2025, Andrew Tulloch is approximately 34 years old, placing his birth around 1990 or 1991. For someone still in their mid-thirties, his list of accomplishments is extraordinary: top student honours, leading roles at Meta and OpenAI, and co-founding a company already valued in the tens of billions. His youth suggests that his influence on the future of artificial intelligence has only just begun.
Legacy in the Making
A Leader in AI Infrastructure
From building scalable systems at Meta to training state-of-the-art GPT models at OpenAI, Tulloch has consistently demonstrated mastery at the cutting edge of AI. His work influences not only corporate strategies but also the very tools and frameworks used by researchers worldwide.
Thinking Machines: A New Frontier
With Thinking Machines Lab, Tulloch’s vision is broader than ever. The company’s ambition lies in creating AI reasoning systems that move beyond predictive text to genuine problem-solving and decision-making. The world is watching closely, aware that Tulloch and his colleagues may define the next era of artificial intelligence.
Conclusion
Andrew Tulloch stands as a symbol of what the AI age represents: intellectual brilliance, global competition, and the tension between financial reward and visionary purpose. From his school days in Perth to Cambridge’s hallowed halls, from Meta’s engineering floors to OpenAI’s research labs, Tulloch has consistently chosen paths that maximise impact over comfort.
His decision to reject a $1.5 billion offer from Mark Zuckerberg underscores that AI is not just about money but about shaping the future of technology and humanity. At only 34, Tulloch’s journey has already been remarkable, yet the most transformative chapters may still lie ahead.
