"OpenAI's reported plans to pursue an IPO later this year could be a massive windfall-not just for investors betting on the AI boom, but for the company's own employees. The ChatGPT maker's average stock-based compensation hit a whopping $1.5 million among its roughly 4,000 employees in 2025, according to The Wall Street Journal. With a reported $830 billion valuation from its latest funding round, the company ranks among the most valuable private firms ever."
"With AI rivals such as Anthropic, Meta, Microsoft, and Google all aggressively looking to poach top tech talent capable of building the next-generation AI models at scale, OpenAI's equity strategy appears to be rooted in retention. Nearly half, about 46.2%, of OpenAI's annual revenue is going toward providing stock-based compensation, underscoring just how fierce the war for AI talent has become."
OpenAI plans an IPO that could transform employee equity into substantial personal wealth given its reported $830 billion valuation. Average stock-based compensation reached $1.5 million among roughly 4,000 employees in 2025, making employee equity sharing the highest seen among major tech startups. The company allocates about 46.2% of annual revenue to stock-based compensation to retain top AI talent amid aggressive recruiting by rivals. Top research scientists may receive grants between $2 million and $4 million. OpenAI continues rapid hiring with hundreds of open roles and streamlined qualification requirements.
Read at Fortune
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