[javajosh]

Haha. No way. I don't think anyone who gets a physics PhD is excited by the prospect of solving ad market problems. Or financial market problems (because you forgot to mention the $500k quant jobs). Physics PhDs aren't, in my experience, particularly motivated by money. How could they be?

A project like this would a) let them use far more of their training than coding ever would and b) it is for a good cause, effectively a peaceful version of the Manhattan project.

[mikebike]

You might want to check the bio of Antonio García Martí­nez, who has a physics background, and subsequently worked in both finance and adtech.