OpenAI’s UK employees received average remuneration packages worth approximately £2.3 million in 2025, as soaring share-based compensation pushed the ChatGPT developer’s British staff costs to £258 million.
Newly published accounts for OpenAI UK reveal that total employee costs increased from £60.7 million in 2024 to £258 million in 2025, reflecting the company’s rapid expansion and substantial equity awards.
The London-based subsidiary employed an average of 110 staff during the year, with wages and salaries totalling £87.3 million, equivalent to approximately £794,000 per employee.
However, the largest component of remuneration was share-based compensation worth £167.8 million, averaging more than £1.5 million per employee.
Combined with pension contributions and other benefits, total staff costs averaged approximately £2.35 million per person. The figure represents an accounting average rather than individual take-home pay, with much of the remuneration linked to equity awards rather than cash salaries.
OpenAI UK’s turnover surged to £293 million in 2025 from £79.2 million the previous year, supported by a significant expansion of research, development, sales and marketing activities.
The subsidiary also reported profit after tax of £20.3 million, compared with £5.4 million in 2024.
The turnover figures largely reflect services provided to OpenAI’s wider corporate group under an intercompany charging arrangement, rather than direct sales to UK customers.
OpenAI’s London operation has become its largest international research hub, alongside teams responsible for commercial operations, government relations and marketing.
The company is also preparing to expand its physical presence in the capital, with plans for a new headquarters in King’s Cross.
The substantial remuneration packages highlight intensifying competition for artificial intelligence specialists, as leading technology companies offer generous salaries and equity incentives to attract and retain experienced researchers and engineers.
OpenAI, founded in 2015 and led by Chief Executive Sam Altman, launched ChatGPT in November 2022, helping accelerate global investment in generative artificial intelligence.
The company has since undergone significant organisational changes, including its restructuring into a public benefit corporation in 2025.
OpenAI is reportedly targeting a stock market valuation of approximately $1.4 trillion, with plans to raise at least $30 billion through a potential initial public offering.
The company is now expected to pursue a listing in 2027, following reports that its earlier flotation timetable was delayed amid discussions surrounding AI safety and governance.
Despite its rapid expansion, OpenAI faces growing scrutiny over the substantial investment required to develop increasingly sophisticated AI models and supporting infrastructure.
Industry forecasts suggest the company could require hundreds of billions of dollars in additional expenditure by the end of the decade, raising questions about future profitability and funding requirements.
Competition for AI talent is also intensifying, with rival Anthropic reportedly pursuing its own major stock market flotation while expanding recruitment across international technology hubs.
The sector has recently experienced increased market volatility as investors reassess AI valuations, infrastructure spending and the sustainability of revenue growth.
For investors, OpenAI UK’s financial results demonstrate the scale of investment being directed towards artificial intelligence talent, with equity-based remuneration accounting for approximately 65% of the subsidiary’s total staff costs.
However, the headline £2.3 million average should not be interpreted as a typical employee salary or guaranteed cash earnings, particularly because equity awards may be subject to vesting conditions and valuation changes.
The combination of rapidly rising staff costs, strong UK revenue growth and preparations for a potential IPO highlights OpenAI’s continued expansion, while underlining the financial commitments required to compete at the forefront of artificial intelligence development.
