Even SK Hynix feels “inferior”: OpenAI employees cash out $6.6 billion in stock, with 75 people cashing out up to $30 million each.

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Recently, news that SK Hynix employees received an average bonus of 6.1 million RMB each has gone viral online—but compared with OpenAI employees cashing out their shares, this number might seem like small change.

In October last year, OpenAI completed a rare large-scale employee stock sale. According to The Wall Street Journal, over 600 current and former employees cashed out a total of $6.6 billion (about 48 billion RMB) in this round. Among them, about 75 people received the maximum—$30 million each.

This was the first large-scale cash-out after OpenAI raised the individual cash-out cap from $10 million to $30 million. According to sources cited in reports, the adjustment was made “at the request of investors.”

The timing is also notable: OpenAI requires employees to hold shares for two years before selling, which means for many who joined after ChatGPT launched, this was the first time they actually turned paper wealth into real money.

7 Years, 100 Times: Cashing in a “Lottery Ticket”

OpenAI first issued equity to employees seven years ago. According to reports, employees holding these shares have seen their book value increase by over 100 times since then.

For comparison, the Nasdaq Composite Index rose about 3 times over the same period.

OpenAI is currently the world’s highest-valued tech startup, with the latest funding round valuing the company at $852 billion.

Such a pace of wealth increase is rare even in tech industry history. During the dot-com bubble, hundreds of companies went public, but most employees had to wait a long time to cash out after an IPO, and some were left with nothing when the bubble burst. This time, OpenAI employees have already realized vast wealth before the company is even public.

A $30 Million Ceiling—and Some Still “Want More”

This cash-out was limited to $30 million per person, but for some top researchers and engineers, even this isn’t enough.

Previously, OpenAI set the cap at $10 million, which already left some key employees who could theoretically sell more dissatisfied.

In terms of compensation, OpenAI’s offers are also aggressive. According to its official website, some technical positions pay more than $500,000 annually. Last August, it was reported that OpenAI gave some employees one-off bonuses worth millions of dollars.

Last year, Meta offered as much as $30 million compensation packages to retain top researchers. The talent war across the AI industry has pushed salaries to rarely seen heights in the history of modern technology.

Wealth Effect: San Francisco Rent Rises, Some Begin Donating

The $6.6 billion cash-out is more than just a number.

This wave of wealth is driving up San Francisco’s rent and raising concerns about growing income inequality in the city.

Some employees chose another way to handle their money—putting remaining shares into donor-advised funds, a charitable investment account pledged for philanthropy and eligible for that year’s tax deductions. Reports say some ordinary employees who never expected such wealth are also starting to donate.

At the executive level, the scale of wealth is even more astonishing. OpenAI president Greg Brockman testified in court this week that his equity is worth about $3 billion. CEO Sam Altman said he doesn’t hold company shares, citing the company’s non-profit origins— though some investors expect he will acquire equity if he wins the lawsuit against Musk regarding OpenAI’s transition.

IPO Unseen: The Larger Wealth Effect Is Yet to Come

This cash-out is only a preview.

OpenAI and Anthropic are each preparing IPOs, expected to be among the largest tech listings in history. At that point, thousands of regular employees will get the chance to sell their shares, with many set to become multimillionaires overnight.

The Wall Street Journal described this cash-out as “a preview of the coming flood of wealth into San Francisco and other tech hubs.”

Compare this with SK Hynix: the 6.1 million RMB bonuses were based on the semiconductor super-cycle and bets on HBM technology, driven by industry cycles. OpenAI employees’ wealth derives from a single company’s valuation explosion amid the AI wave—and the IPO gate hasn’t even opened yet.

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