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

OpenAI pays employees an average of $1.5 million in stock-based compensation—the highest in tech history. The fierce competition for AI talent drives this generous equity distribution across 4,000 workers. Notably, CEO Sam Altman holds no shares and earns only $76,000 salary, prioritizing employee retention in the competitive AI sector.