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Physix Frontier · News Briefing Card (Guardian Tech · Oct 15, 2026)

OpenAI London Staff Average Pay and Equity Hit £2.31M

KEY FACTS

  • OpenAI's UK entity paid an average of about £2.318 million per employee in pay and equity last year across 110 staff.
  • The company's 2025 pay bill was £87 million, with equity compensation totaling £168 million.
  • OpenAI's London office is its largest international research hub, and it also houses government affairs and sales teams.
  • OpenAI's UK entity posted £293 million in 2025 revenue and £20.3 million in profit.
  • Former UK Chancellor George Osborne joined OpenAI in December to lead its national business.

KEY DATA

£2,318,181Average pay and equity per London employee
110Employee count
£87mTotal pay
£168mTotal equity

PHYSIX OBSERVATION

Per-head compensation above two million pounds shows the battle for top AI talent has entered a stage where cost is no object. London is becoming an AI stronghold on par with San Francisco, but such high labor costs also mean only a handful of giants can afford to play this game. For ordinary practitioners, the industry's pay gap will only keep widening.

Source: Guardian Tech report