OpenAI's financial model reflects the intense pressure to retain the people driving its breakthroughs. The company's willingness to spend aggressively on equity has redefined what competitive pay looks like in artificial intelligence – and raised the stakes for every firm vying to shape the field's future.

Internal financial disclosures show that OpenAI is distributing more equity per employee than any major technology startup on record. Its stock-based compensation – averaging roughly $1.5 million per worker across a staff of about 4,000 – far exceeds the benchmarks set by historical peers, according to data the company shared with investors. READ MORE