OpenAI offers multi-million dollar bonuses to retain top AI talent

OpenAI

OpenAI is rolling out a major retention push for its most sought-after employees, offering a “special one-time award” to around 1,000 staff members — roughly a third of its full-time workforce. According to a report by The Verge, in an internal Slack message, CEO Sam Altman said the awards target researchers and software engineers in applied engineering, scaling, and safety, citing “movement in the market” for AI talent as a key driver. Altman also said that OpenAI intends to keep increasing the salaries it offers to employees.

The payouts, which vary by role and seniority, are substantial, according to the report. Top researchers are in line for mid single-digit millions, while engineers will receive sums in the hundreds of thousands. These bonuses will be distributed quarterly over two years and can be taken in stock, cash, or a combination. Altman also told employees that compensation will continue to rise in line with company performance, thanking teams for their work toward achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).

The move comes as competition for AI expertise intensifies across Silicon Valley, with tech giants and well-funded startups aggressively courting talent. By locking in critical staff, OpenAI aims to maintain its edge in the rapidly evolving AI race.

Alongside the bonuses, the company is preparing a new secondary share sale, which will allow more employees to sell vested stock. The sale could happen at a higher price than the last $274 per share round, potentially lifting OpenAI’s valuation beyond its previous $300 billion mark.

Lucrative pay packages are nothing new in the tech industry, the scale of OpenAI’s awards underscores just how valuable its technical teams have become. More so, when the likes of Meta have been on a poaching spree.