# Hassabis offered Google $1 billion to leave — then stayed - slug: hassabis-offered-google-1-billion-to-leave-then-stayed - date: 2026-04-02 - category: Artificial Intelligence Hassabis tried to buy DeepMind out of Google for $1B with Reid Hoffman backing. Google said no. Three years later, that failed escape might be the best thing that happened to him. ---