【AAPL】Apple Rarely Awards Bonuses to iPhone Hardware Designers to Prevent Employees from Being Poached by OpenAI and Others

SocialAnxietyStaker · 2026-03-27T03:31:35+00:00

Apple is offering its iPhone hardware designers tens of thousands of dollars in special bonuses to prevent them from being poached by AI startups. The bonuses are paid in stock over a four-year period. However, these bonuses still fall below the incentive levels offered by companies like OpenAI.

SocialAnxietyStaker

2026-03-27 03:31:35

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Foreign media quoted sources stating that Apple Inc. (US: AAPL) has rarely issued bonuses to iPhone hardware designers to prevent them from being poached by AI startups like OpenAI that are developing their own devices.

Apple issues special bonuses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars

Sources revealed that Apple has issued special bonuses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars to several members of the iPhone product design team. These bonuses are granted in the form of stock and are paid over four years, meaning employees must stay at Apple to receive the full bonus. This is part of Apple’s common equity compensation scheme, where these rewards often range from about $200,000 to $400,000.

OpenAI has previously succeeded in poaching former Apple design chief Jony Ive, helping it design the next generation of AI-centered products.

Apple employees view this pay increase as a direct response to the recent ramp-up in hiring by AI startups. However, these bonuses are still far lower than the levels offered by companies like OpenAI, as in some cases, OpenAI provides annual stock incentive bonuses of about $1 million to attract Apple engineers to switch jobs.

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