Ari Goldschmidt here, editor at Altucher's Investment Network. Filling in for Chris Campbell today.

AI mania is in full-swing, and here’s a hard truth:

A billion dollars doesn't buy what it used to.

At least not when it comes to AI talent at Meta.

The headlines are everywhere.

Meta has been approaching AI researchers with mind-boggling compensation packages.

The New York Times reported that one developer scored a jaw-dropping $250 million compensation package after initially turning down Zuckerberg's "lowball" offer of $125 million.

Another software engineer was rumored to have recently turned down a billion dollars from Zuck (currently the world’s third richest person).

At face value, it looks like a talent war with no ceiling in sight.

But here's what those headlines aren't telling you.

Those jaw-dropping figures might never be fully paid out.

Let me explain why.

DeepMind’s Big Breakthrough

Last month, Google's DeepMind achieved something remarkable.

Their AI system earned a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

This is a competition designed for brilliant high school students.

The problems require original thinking and creative solutions.

They're not questions the AI has seen before.

They demand novel reasoning.

Just 18 months ago, this milestone seemed far away.

In fact, billionaire Alex Gerko was so confident it would take years that he offered a $10 million prize to anyone who could build an AI capable of winning IMO gold.

He expected to keep his money for at least five years.

He was wrong.

It's no coincidence that just as this milestone was reached, Zuckerberg began talking more openly about "superintelligence."

Why AGI May Be Close

For those unfamiliar, superintelligence refers to AI systems that surpass human cognitive abilities across virtually all domains.

Not just in math or science, but in everything.

In a letter published last month, Zuckerberg claimed, "Over the last few months we have begun to see glimpses of our AI systems improving themselves."

He added, "Developing superintelligence is now in sight."

Now Zuckerberg is putting his money where his mouth is.

He's investing billions to hire the brightest minds in AI.

But here's the catch: those headline-grabbing salary packages are designed to be paid out over multiple years.

If Zuckerberg truly believes superintelligence could arrive within the next 6-12 months, these researchers might only collect a fraction of their advertised compensation packages.

Not to mention, when superintelligence emerges, the rules of the game transform entirely.

Those multi-year compensation packages become irrelevant in a world where AI can improve itself faster than any human could.

Given what is at stake, I would not be surprised if we see even more outrageous salary offers in coming weeks.

After all, what's another billion dollar salary if it means winning the superintelligence race?

A History of Bold Bets

Zuckerberg has a history of making bold, seemingly overpriced bets that eventually pay off spectacularly.

When Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, critics called it wildly overpriced.

Today, Instagram likely generates over $70 billion in annual revenue.

Similarly, the $19 billion WhatsApp acquisition seemed extravagant at the time.

Now it's a cornerstone of Meta's global communications strategy.

The metaverse pivot may have been premature, but Zuckerberg's long-term vision often materializes - just not always on the timeline observers expect.

With AI, timing is everything.

If Zuckerberg is right about how close we are to superintelligence - and if Meta can lead this transition - the impact for Meta’s investors will be life changing.

We're not talking about incremental growth, but potential transformation of the entire global economy.

The wealth creation potential of superintelligence makes previous technological advances look tiny by comparison.

Not millions. Not billions. But trillions in new value, reshaping entire industries virtually overnight.

For investors paying attention, this will be the largest wealth-creation in history.

And those billion-dollar salaries? They might turn out to be the bargain of the century.