Whistleblower Blasts Culture Problems Inside Microsoft AI
A Microsoft AI employee has blown the whistle on what they describe as a broken culture inside the company’s high-profile artificial intelligence unit. In a detailed letter sent to us last week, the employee accuses Mustafa—one of Microsoft AI’s co-leaders—of importing toxicity from past roles, and undermining the values the tech giant claims to uphold.
“Microsoft People Are Ga_____”: Staff Say They’re Being Shut Out
According to the letter, Microsoft veterans face systematic exclusion from opportunities in the very company they helped build. The whistleblower says candidates were bluntly told Microsoft AI “doesn’t hire people with Microsoft backgrounds,” a stance that directly contradicts the company’s public commitment to internal mobility.
In a striking example, Mustafa brought in Chris Daly, a thirty-something from investment bank Robey Warshaw, to serve as VP of Strategy and Business Operations. Robey Warshaw had advised on Microsoft’s acquisition of Inflection, the AI startup where Mustafa previously worked.
Making matters worse, the whistleblower claims his inner circle mocked long-time Microsoft staff, calling them “gar____.” That kind of rhetoric, they write, has opened rifts inside the company and left employees feeling undervalued, alienated, and angry.
A Culture of Confusion, Not Clarity
Mustafa’s leadership style, the letter alleges, has brought chaos instead of direction. By elevating former Inflection colleagues into key roles, he created a tight-knit inner circle accused of clashing with Microsoft’s long-standing values. Teams that once ran smoothly now stumble, repeatedly thrown off track by what employees describe as a startup-style authoritarian approach.
Inside the company, one phrase reportedly echoes across teams: “MS is not a start-up.” It captures a growing frustration that Mustafa’s way of running things simply doesn’t fit with Microsoft’s collaborative, trust-based culture.
Shadows From DeepMind
The whistleblower also points back to Mustafa’s time at Google DeepMind. Multiple former employees told reporters in 2023 that he had a history of public outbursts, bullying behavior, and humiliating staff. Business Insider documented those complaints, though DeepMind pushed back on the claims at the time.
According to the letter, DeepMind placed Mustafa on administrative leave in 2019 while an outside law firm investigated. The review concluded his management “fell short,” leading to him being stripped of his managerial duties and reassigned to a policy role before eventually leaving Google.
Emails That Drain, Not Inspire
Every week, Mustafa sends lengthy motivational essays to employees. Rather than inspiring, these notes have become a running joke. Staff call them “chicken soup for the corporate soul.” Instead of clarity, they sow confusion. Teams spend hours trying to decipher his vague instructions, only to have their work disrupted again by the next email.
A Call for Action
The letter doesn’t mince words in its conclusion. Microsoft AI, the whistleblower writes, has become a house divided. Some see it as ambitious and innovative. Others view it as toxic and out of step with Microsoft’s values.
The biggest fear among employees? That Mustafa will “fail upwards again”—avoiding accountability as he did before. The whistleblower ends by urging Nadella to step in, review the evidence, and take swift corrective action before lasting damage is done.
Disclaimer: While we have authenticated the sender’s identity as a current Microsoft AI (MAI) employee, we cannot independently corroborate all specific allegations contained in the letter. The views expressed herein represent the whistleblower’s perspective alone and do not reflect the publisher’s opinions. We acknowledge that under Mustafa’s leadership, MAI has developed notable models and features, though their commercial viability and market impact remain contested.