Andrew Tulloch: Few tales go viral in Silicon Valley more quickly than one about a millionaire making an offer and someone having the guts to turn it down. That is precisely what happened when Andrew Tulloch, a modest but well-respected Australian computer scientist, declined a job offer from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta. The amount, according to international media outlets, might have totaled up to $1.5 billion over six years.

However, Tulloch’s choice wasn’t made suddenly. It was supported by a career based on top-notch research, intellectual rigor, and an academic path that resembles a road map for AI greatness. From achieving Australia’s highest school grades to acing Cambridge exams, Tulloch’s tale is one of consistent genius and wise decisions.

Andrew Tulloch Educational Qualification:

Tulloch began his education at Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont, Western Australia. He stood out as a top student, a natural leader, and an all-rounder in sports and extracurriculars. He graduated in the top percentile of Australian students with a TER of 99.95, the highest in the state. He didn’t stop at academics. He captained his school’s mock trial and debating teams, served as vice-captain, and played in the first XI hockey and cricket teams. From early on, he showed a rare mix of talent and leadership.

In 2007, he joined the University of Sydney’s Bachelor of Science (Advanced Mathematics) program, focusing on statistics and mathematics, two fields that later shaped his AI breakthroughs. He earned First Class Honours and won the University Medal, given to the top honors student in the Faculty of Science. He also received the Science Achievement Prize for securing the highest GPA in the faculty. By then, Tulloch had already emerged as one of Australia’s brightest young minds.

Life as a Master’s Student:

Tulloch wanted deeper theoretical knowledge, so he traveled across the world to study at the University of Cambridge. He enrolled in Part III of the Mathematical Tripos, one of the toughest postgraduate math programs globally. At Trinity College, he pursued a Master of Mathematical Statistics with a focus on statistics and machine learning. Once again, he topped his class. He earned the highest mark in his cohort and graduated with distinction. Trinity College awarded him a medal for this achievement. This mix of sharp intelligence, mathematical precision, and global training built a strong base for his future work in artificial intelligence.

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Andrew Tulloch’s Professional Journey:

Tulloch pursued both his academic and professional paths with focus, ambition, and discipline. After briefly working as a strategist at Goldman Sachs, where he applied quantitative modeling to analyze financial markets, he joined Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2012. Over the next decade, he made major contributions to PyTorch, one of the most widely used machine learning frameworks—and played a key role in building the AI infrastructure that powers Meta’s platforms.

In 2023, Tulloch joined OpenAI and worked on advanced reasoning systems, including GPT-4 and GPT-4o. Just over a year later, in 2025, he partnered with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati to co-found Thinking Machines Lab. Together, they launched the firm with a mission to develop safe, transparent, and scalable AI systems.

Why did he refuse $1.5 Billion Offer?

Meta approached Tulloch again soon after he launched Thinking Machines Lab. This time, the company made a serious attempt to recruit him and his team. According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta offered Tulloch a six-year deal worth up to $1.5 billion. The offer included long-term incentives, bonuses, and stock options. Tulloch turned it down. His entire team also stayed. Why? Tulloch never chased money. He valued the chance to build meaningful, ethical AI more than any billion-dollar offer.

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