Dozens of OpenAI Employees Become Millionaires by Selling Company Shares

Many OpenAI employees have become millionaires by choosing to sell their company shares, allocated as part of the compensation program. Previously, OpenAI had a two-year lock-up period that employees had to adhere to before selling the company's shares. This restriction has been lifted, leading to a flurry of transactions that have made many workers wealthy. Meanwhile, however, OpenAI is struggling to cash in as much as it would like.

New Millionaires at OpenAI

The news was reported by the Wall Street Journal, which specified that the operation resulted in a total cashing of at least $6.6 billion, involving over 600 employees. Of these, at least 75 managed to reach the maximum limit set by this option, which is $30 million. All this occurred even before OpenAI's anticipated IPO, poised to become one of the most important in history.

The situation reflects the AI sector and, more generally, the tech industry, where large companies are competing to secure talent by offering ever-richer compensation packages. In some cases, these plans include equity participation which, in the long term (but even in the short term, given the recent stock market fluctuations), can translate into significant earnings for employees.

For workers who joined OpenAI in previous years, the ability to sell shares has been a golden opportunity. Indeed, in a short time, the liquidation of equity ownership has resulted in enormous gains. OpenAI's shares have increased by more than 100 times since their issuance seven years ago. The upcoming IPO could lead to further increases in value.