From Startup Fortune · · 1m 10s
Meta Strategy Chief Leaves for Fireworks AI CFO Role
Meta's chief strategy officer Dave Wehner joins Fireworks AI as CFO after 10 years at the company.
In brief
Meta's chief strategy officer Dave Wehner joins Fireworks AI as CFO after 10 years at the company. Dave Wehner, Meta's former CFO, becomes CFO of Fireworks AI, a $17.5 billion valuation startup specializing in AI inference models. Originally reported by Startup Fortune.
Dave Wehner's Move
Dave Wehner, Meta's chief strategy officer, leaves to become CFO of Fireworks AI.
Wehner's Background
Wehner was Facebook's and then Meta's CFO from 2014 until November 2022.
Fireworks AI Details
Fireworks AI is an inference and model-serving startup valued at $17.5 billion in a $1.505 billion Series D round.
Valuation Growth
Fireworks' valuation quadrupled from $4 billion in October 2025 to $17.5 billion in July 2026.
Wehner's Role at Fireworks
Wehner will focus on scaling Fireworks' finances and operations.
Meta's AI Spending
Meta spends tens of billions annually on AI infrastructure, including data centers and chips.
Why Wehner Left
Wehner believes Fireworks' model of renting AI capacity by the token has more value than Meta's in-house approach.
“Wehner wrote on X that Fireworks has the right mission for the moment and that he has become increasingly bullish on what the company is building.”
The short version
Dave Wehner, Meta's former CFO, becomes CFO of Fireworks AI, a $17.5 billion valuation startup specializing in AI inference models.
