Apple Inc. issued rare, out-of-cycle bonuses to iPhone hardware designers to prevent defections to artificial intelligence startups. The company aims to stop rivals like OpenAI from poaching talent to develop competing AI-centric devices.
The bonuses consist of restricted stock units that vest over a four-year period. Individual awards range from approximately $200,000 to $400,000.
This retention strategy responds to aggressive recruiting by OpenAI, which recently hired former Apple design chief Jony Ive. OpenAI is reportedly offering lucrative compensation packages to build its own internal hardware division.