OpenAI's British employees earned £2.3million on average last year as they collected bumper share awards after the valuation of the tech giant soared.
asserted
valuation → earn → giant
The London arm of OpenAI said its total wage bill comprised £87.3million in base salaries, with employees collecting an average £794,000 a year.
But share-based compensation jumped to £167.8million as the tech firm behind ChatGPT saw its valuation soar ahead of its stock market debut.
asserted
valuation → say → debut
This handed OpenAI's 110 staff an average £1.5million bonus each, to bring their annual take-home pay to £2.3million.
asserted
This → hand → 2.3million
Total staff costs reached £258million in 2025, up from £60.7million in 2024, including pension costs and other employee benefits.
Open AI was founded in 2015 as a non-profit with boss Sam Altman and Elon Musk as co-chairs.
asserted
AI → reach → chairs
Musk resigned in 2018.
asserted
Musk → resign → 2018
It launched ChatGPT in 2022 and the tool gained 100million active users within two months of its release, kicking off the global AI boom.
asserted
tool → launch → boom
But shortly after in 2023, Altman was controversially fired and then rehired by the firm's board within five days after they accused him of not being 'consistently candid in his communications.'
asserted
they → fire → communications
He was reinstated following employee pressure.
asserted
He → reinstate → pressure
The firm behind ChatGPT has handed its London staff a bumper pay package
It is no longer a non-profit after converting to a public benefit corporation in 2025.
asserted
It → hand → 2025
Artificial, a film about OpenAI starring Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, will be released later this year.
asserted
Artificial → star → Altman
The firm is looking to raise at least $30billion in funding when it floats on the stock market at a valuation of around $1.4trillion, but recent forecasts suggest it could burn through $278billion in cash by the end of the decade.
uncertain
it → look → decade
OpenAI filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in June, but it has pushed it back until 2027, with chief executive Sam Altman citing safety concerns over artificial intelligence.
asserted
Altman → file → intelligence
Its UK office recorded a near trebling of turnover from £79.2million to £293million last year, which OpenAI said was down to a 'significant expansion' in sales, marketing and research and development activity.
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OpenAI → record → activity
Profit rose from £5.4million to £20.3million.
asserted
Profit → rise → 20.3million
The London subsidiary, which is based in Westminster but will soon open a King's Cross HQ, is its largest international research hub, but it is also home to sales, marketing and government affairs teams.
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it → base → teams
Rival Anthropic, which is seeking a valuation of around $1trillion ahead of an expected IPO next month, is also looking to bolster its team in the UK to 800 people.
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which → seek → people
It is offering generous salaries for non-technical staff, with reports of a £145,000 pay package for a personal assistant for London executives.
asserted
It → offer → executives
AI stocks fall on investor jitters
Figures published on Wednesday show Anthropic's revenue surged by 45 per cent to $16.8billion in the three months to September.
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revenue → fall → September
But investors are growing jittery over investments in artificial intelligence with stocks dropping overnight.
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stocks → grow → intelligence
In Asia, South Korea's tech-heavy Kospi and Kosdaq indices were temporarily halted after falling by more than 8 per cent.
asserted
indices → halt → cent
Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said: 'Tech investors are getting uncomfortable with the amount of debt being used to fund the AI build-out.
'
asserted
investors → say → out
There is a growing fear that big names in the tech space are running too fast, and they're primed to trip up.
'
asserted
they → be → space
Reports about Anthropic's third quarter revenue suggest it isn't growing as fast as expected, which added to fears that the AI euphoria might be hard to sustain.
uncertain
euphoria → suggest → fears
If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission.
uncertain
This → take → commission
These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting.
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they → choose → team
This does not affect our editorial independence.
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This → affect → independence
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