Nikita Bier, head of product at X, publicly courted Meta employees this week by offering to match or exceed Meta's snack budget. This came after Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth admitted on an internal call that employee morale is near its worst ever, following May 2026 layoffs that cut 8,000 jobs and forced 7,000 more into AI units without choice. Bier announced open roles for web/data engineers and scientists, targeting "neglected" Meta workers. His snack budget dig mocked a perk Meta expanded after morale collapsed. Internal forums describe Meta's culture as "dead and depressing," with employees comparing the AI unit transfer to a labor camp. Polymarket shows 67% odds of a 2026 tech layoff, partly driven by Meta's situation. Bier previously defended Mark Zuckerberg, showing a history of engaging Meta debates.

Key facts

• X head Nikita Bier promises to match or exceed Meta's snack budget in recruitment pitch.
• Meta CTO admits morale near worst ever after 8,000 layoffs and 7,000 forced transfers.
• Bier targets 'neglected' Meta engineers and scientists for open roles at X.
• Internal Meta forums describe culture as 'dead and depressing', AI unit called 'labor camp'.
• Polymarket gives 67% chance of 2026 tech layoffs, partly due to Meta's turmoil.