Meet Trapit Bansal: Ex-OpenAI Researcher Hired by Meta with ₹800 Crore Joining Bonus — Not from IIT Bombay, IIM, or NIT
Meet Trapit Bansal: Ex-OpenAI Researcher Hired by Meta with ₹800 Crore Joining Bonus — Not from IIT Bombay, IIM, or NIT
In a landmark move shaking the global AI research community, Trapit Bansal — an Indian-origin artificial intelligence expert — has reportedly joined Meta’s Superintelligence Labs with a staggering compensation package worth ₹800 crore (approx. $96 million), one of the largest tech signing bonuses ever recorded.
From Gurugram to Global AI Labs
Bansal’s career began in 2012 as an analyst at Accenture in Gurugram. But it was his deep interest in data and mathematics that steered him towards AI. He spent over two years at IISc Bengaluru as a research assistant working on Bayesian modeling and inference, laying the foundation for his academic and research trajectory.
A graduate of IIT Kanpur in Mathematics and Statistics, Bansal pursued his Master’s and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During this time, he interned at tech giants like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI—focusing on deep learning, NLP, and reinforcement learning.
A Key Player at OpenAI
Bansal joined OpenAI in 2022 as a Member of Technical Staff and worked directly with co-founder Ilya Sutskever. There, he co-developed an internal reasoning model known as “o1,” which is believed to have influenced the logical capabilities of models like ChatGPT.
His work gained global recognition, with TechCrunch calling him “a highly influential researcher.”
The Meta Move: A High-Stakes Leap
In July 2025, Bansal officially confirmed via Twitter that he had joined Meta’s newly launched Superintelligence Labs—an elite division aimed at building Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The lab is led by Nat Friedman (ex-GitHub CEO) and Alexandr Wang (ex-Scale AI CEO).
While Meta hasn’t disclosed details, multiple reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal suggest researchers in this unit are being offered up to $300 million over four years. Bansal’s rumored ₹800 crore package includes stock-based incentives and access to Meta’s extensive AI compute infrastructure.
A Brain Drain for OpenAI?
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, recently criticized Meta’s aggressive hiring strategies, accusing the company of dangling $100M bonuses to lure top talent. Bansal’s departure, alongside at least three other prominent researchers, suggests Meta’s approach is working.
What Lies Ahead?
Meta has yet to launch a public AI model with advanced reasoning on par with OpenAI’s GPT-4o or DeepMind’s Gemini. With Bansal and other top researchers—including Lucas Beyer, Jack Rae, and Johan Schalkwyk—now onboard, Meta is expected to accelerate its AGI ambitions.
More Than Just a Paycheck
While the ₹800 crore number has captured headlines, Bansal’s move represents more than financial gain. It signals a deeper commitment to shaping the future of intelligent systems. His story—from Accenture to OpenAI to Meta—shows how world-class talent can emerge from anywhere, powered by curiosity, discipline, and vision.
