The race to secure the world’s top AI talent is intense. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has taken personal responsibility for the recruitment efforts aimed at establishing a “superintelligence” lab. The financial incentives are staggering: reports suggest over $200 million is being offered to lure away the head of Apple’s AI models. It is said that OpenAI executives are “recalibrating” their compensation packages to deter Mr. Zuckerberg’s advances. However, the rationale behind hiring these high-profile individuals is only valid if one believes that talent can be transferred and that these superstars will continue to excel in their new environments.
Numerous studies have attempted to determine the significance of firm-specific factors on the performance of these high achievers. One of the most prominent studies in this field was conducted by Boris Groysberg from Harvard Business School. In a paper co-authored with Linda-Eling Lee from MSCI and Ashish Nanda, also from Harvard, Mr. Groysberg examined the performance of top investment analysts, as indicated by external rankings, following their transitions between firms.
