# Alexandr Wang

Wang founded Scale AI as an MIT dropout. In early 2026 Meta acqui-hired Scale and made him Chief AI Officer, running Superintelligence Labs (SSL). He is 29 years old in this role; the package was reported around $300M.

Within four months: at least eight key SSL researchers left, Meta's AI retention rate dropped to 64% (vs 78% at Google DeepMind), and CTO [[andrew-bosworth]] stood up a parallel Applied AI Engineering org under Maher Saba that engineers were being reshuffled into instead of SSL. Yann LeCun called Wang "inexperienced" in public.

May 2026 SSL layoffs (~600 of 8,000 total Meta cuts) were announced via a Wang memo whose stated goal was "fewer conversations" and "more scope + impact" per remaining employee. The wording is the part [[meta-ai-employees-miserable]] turns into a story.

The broader pattern matters because Meta is not the first company to install a young outside hire as the figurehead of an AI super-org with massive comp and no internal political base. See also [[sam-altman]] for the contrasting "founder-CEO consolidates" template.