$META cut 8,000 people. I ran the math. The ratio is 60:1.

Every $META post today leads with the same number: 8,000. I ran the math. The number that actually matters is 60.

At $300K average all-in compensation, which is probably conservative for Meta, 8,000 jobs saves $2.4 billion annually. $META's 2026 AI capex is $145 billion. The ratio is 60:1. I'd call the layoffs a declaration.

The 8,000 figure is also understated. $META froze 6,000 open roles in the same move, positions that were budgeted, approved, and actively recruiting. Total headcount removed from the org chart: 14,000. Every headline is running with 10%. The real number is closer to 16%.

Revenue hit $56 billion last quarter, up 33% year over year. The company can afford the headcount. The $145 billion going toward AI this year is funding custom chips, new data center construction, and Llama model development. Zuckerberg is building the next version of $META. The current workforce is the transition state.

At the town hall this week, Zuckerberg told employees that AI tools were not driving the layoffs. The capex line says something different.

In 2024, Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan that AI would replace mid-level engineers by 2025. At the time, most people figured he was talking about other companies. He was describing Meta.

The cuts are landing in Reality Labs, recruiting, and sales operations. The AI research and infrastructure teams are a different story.

Every mid-level engineer in tech just watched this play out in real time. I don't think Zuckerberg's timeline is someone else's problem anymore.