Key Points
- OpenAI rolls out a “special one‑time award” for select researchers and engineers.
- Bonuses range from hundreds of thousands to mid single‑digit millions, paid quarterly over two years.
- About 1,000 staff members – roughly one‑third of the workforce – qualify.
- Employees can receive the payout in cash, stock, or a combination of both.
- The move aligns with plans to let more staff cash out vested stock ahead of a potential valuation rise toward $500 billion.
- Talent wars intensify as Meta, xAI and former insiders poach OpenAI staff.
- Not all employees receive the bonus, sparking concerns about internal morale.
- Cursor executives promoted the new model as default, prompting Anthropic to update Claude.
- Early access to GPT‑5 was given to a limited group of independent writers and AI influencers under NDA.
Bonus Announcement
In a Slack message to staff, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman announced a “special one‑time award” for researchers and software engineers in several key groups, including applied engineering, scaling and safety. The memo emphasized transparency about this new compensation measure and thanked employees for their work toward building artificial general intelligence.
Compensation Details
The bonus amounts will vary by role and seniority. The highest payouts are described as mid single‑digit millions for the company’s most coveted researchers, while engineers are expected to receive bonuses worth hundreds of thousands on average. Payments will be made quarterly over the next two years, and recipients may choose cash, OpenAI stock, or a mix of both. Roughly 1,000 employees – about one‑third of OpenAI’s full‑time workforce – are eligible.
Valuation and Stock Plans
OpenAI is also preparing to let more employees cash out vested stock to investors, aiming for a higher share price than the $274 price set in a recent funding round that valued the firm at $300 billion. Bloomberg reported that a forthcoming tender offer could push the valuation toward $500 billion. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the bonus program.
Talent Competition
The bonus rollout underscores the fierce talent war in the AI sector. Altman has recently lost several key researchers to Meta, which hired one of the original creators of ChatGPT as chief scientist. OpenAI’s chief research officer likened Meta’s poaching to a “home invasion,” while Altman remarked that “missionaries will beat mercenaries.” Elon Musk’s xAI is also making aggressive offers, and former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati has recruited technical leaders for her new venture, Thinking Machines.
Industry Reactions
Not all staff receive the award, raising concerns about potential jealousy among those who contributed to recent product launches. After the announcement, Altman joined employees for a celebratory happy hour at Splash, a bar near the company’s headquarters. The news also impacted competitors: Cursor executives appeared on OpenAI’s livestream to promote using the new model as a default, signalling a shift away from Anthropic’s Claude. In response, Anthropic quickly released an update to improve Claude’s coding abilities.
Early Access to GPT‑5
OpenAI granted early access to GPT‑5 under nondisclosure agreements to a select group of independent writers and AI influencers, including Every, Simon Willison, Ethan Mollick, Matt Schumer, Latent Space, Artificial Analysis and METR.
Source: theverge.com