OpenAI Employee Equity Incentives Exceed All Major Tech IPOs in Past 25 Years

Published:Jan 2, 2026 08:06
1 min read
cnBeta

Analysis

The article highlights the unprecedented scale of equity incentives offered by OpenAI to its employees. The per-employee equity compensation of approximately $1.5 million, distributed to around 4,000 employees, surpasses the levels seen before the IPOs of prominent tech companies. This suggests a significant investment in attracting and retaining talent, reflecting the company's rapid growth and valuation.

Reference

According to the Wall Street Journal, citing internal financial disclosure documents, OpenAI's current equity incentive program for employees has reached a new high in the history of tech startups, with an average equity compensation of approximately $1.5 million per employee, applicable to about 4,000 employees, far exceeding the levels of previous well-known tech companies before their IPOs.