Manus, the AI agents startup that Meta just scooped up for north of $2 billion, is apparently already looking at the exit door. The company is exploring raising roughly $1 billion to buy back its shares from Meta, with talks described as still in early stages.
If that sounds like someone returning a wedding gift before the honeymoon is over, well, the timeline here is remarkable. Meta’s acquisition of Manus was negotiated in about ten days. Whatever friction has emerged since then appears to have moved even faster.
The deal that barely had time to settle
Meta’s acquisition of Manus was valued at around $2.5 billion, a figure that includes a $500 million retention pool designed to keep employees on board. That made it one of Meta’s three largest acquisitions ever, right up there with Instagram and WhatsApp in terms of ambition, if not yet in scale.
The deal brought Manus’ roughly 100-person team under Meta’s umbrella. CEO Xiao “Red” Hong was set to report directly to Meta’s COO. The arrangement also required Manus to completely sever all operational ties to China, a significant restructuring for a company founded by Hong with roots in the Chinese tech ecosystem.
