OpenAI Compensation Packages Are Unique Among Tech Companies

I find Oxide's compensation as a reflection of values much more unique [1].

[1]: https://oxide.computer/blog/compensation-as-a-reflection-of-...

> Most employees are paid a flat base salary of about $300,000 alongside a yearly grant of around $500,000 in PPUs, or profit participation units, a form of equity compensation. And that's it.

That's a whole lot of it. If I'm making $800k a year, I'm going to care very little how much everyone else is making. I definitely feel appreciated and valued at that scale.

I'd guess that propensity to jealousy about what others make may go up with salary. Earning more money just shifts goalposts around, there will always be something you can't have and someone you're jealous of it that's your personality.

Can they sell that $500K in PPUs though, since OpenAI is not public? That's one part that is a bit unclear to me, not sure how that works.

From the article:

> While profit participation units are technically a company granting a fractional portion of its future profits, OpenAI employees are still able to sell them once or twice a year during internal liquidity events.

https://archive.md/ramKf