According to a new report by Bloomberg, Apple has given "rare bonuses" to iPhone hardware designers this week. These bonuses are said to be worth "hundreds of thousands of dollars" and are seen as a way to deter employees from leaving for high-paying startups like OpenAI.

The bonuses are "out of cycle" and are given separately from the bonuses typically set for Apple employees. According to reports, these bonuses are valued at "approximately $200,000 to $400,000 over the full vesting period." The bonuses are provided in the form of stock units that will vest over four years, meaning employees must stay at Apple for four years to receive the full amount.

Mark Gurman provides the following information:

“Employees see salary increases as a direct response to the rising recruitment demands from startups. Still, these bonuses only make up a portion of the offers made by OpenAI and others. In some cases, these companies are paying individual Apple engineers around $1 million in stock annually.”

“While the bonuses are unusual, it is not the first time Apple has taken such a step. Three years ago, during concerns about employee loss, the company distributed similar packages, as reported by Bloomberg News.”

One of the most notable departures from Apple in recent years was the exit of Tang Tan in 2023. Tan, who served as VP of product design at Apple, is now the head of hardware at OpenAI. This OpenAI group has reportedly hired "several dozen Apple engineers," according to Bloomberg.

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