OpenAI is paying workers $1.5 million in stock-based compensation on average, the highest of any tech startup in history | Fortune

OpenAI's potential IPO later this year could significantly benefit its employees, as the company's average stock-based compensation hit an unprecedented $1.5 million among its roughly 4,000 employees in 2025, according to the Wall Street Journal. This figure is significantly higher than historical benchmarks, such as Google's offering when it went public. This generous equity strategy, consuming about 46.2% of annual revenue, appears crucial for retaining talent amid aggressive poaching by rivals like Anthropic, Meta, Microsoft, and Google. Despite the high compensation, OpenAI emphasizes demonstrated ability over college degrees for hiring, with salaries starting over $200,000 plus equity. Separately, CEO Sam Altman, who earns a modest salary, has pledged over half his $3.1 billion net worth to philanthropy via the Giving Pledge, echoing concerns from leaders like Anthropic's Dario Amodei about potential AI-driven wealth concentration.

(Source：Fortune)