OpenAI is reportedly offering unprecedented stock-based compensation to its employees, averaging $1.5 million per person across its roughly 4,000-strong workforce. This figure significantly surpasses the pre-IPO compensation at major tech companies like Google and 18 other large tech firms over the past 25 years. The substantial payouts aim to retain top AI talent amidst intense competition, particularly from rivals like Meta, but are also contributing to OpenAI's operating losses and shareholder dilution.