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

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. An IPO at or near that level could turn thousan ...