AMD CEO Lisa Su says company mission matters more than $100 million offers

AMD CEO Lisa Su, the first woman to lead a major U.S. semiconductor company, said in a recent interview that she will not follow Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s reported practice of offering $100 million compensation packages to recruit artificial intelligence experts.

Su, who became AMD’s CEO in 2014, emphasized to Wired that while pay matters, it is not the key factor in attracting top talent, saying, “Money is important, but frankly, it’s not necessarily the most important thing when you’re attracting talent.” She added that AMD seeks people who want to “make an impact” instead of feeling like “a cog in the wheel.” She acknowledged the intense competition for AI researchers but said her company aims to appeal to those who believe in AMD’s broader goals. “You want people who really believe in the mission of what you’re trying to do,” she said. Her comments reflect a strategy that prioritizes long-term commitment and shared values over outsized individual payouts.

Su also highlighted the importance of maintaining fairness across the workforce, stressing that AMD’s success comes from collective strength rather than singular high-profile hires. “It’s not really about one person in our world. It’s really about great people… We have some incredible people,” she said.

While Su’s perspective rejects Zuckerberg’s extravagant offers to acquire top Asian AI engineers, it aligns more with recent comments from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative co-founder Priscilla Chan, who said AI researchers are increasingly drawn to powerful tools like GPUs rather than simply high salaries.